George Galloway: The defiant British voice returns to the corridors of power

"Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza," was the soundbite of the day - following George Galloway's victory in the parliamentary by-election at Rochdale in the United Kingdom. Representing the fringe Workers Party of Britain, Galloway dominated the chaotic election, winning 39.7% of the vote. 

While his win may come as a surprise to many, the writing has been on the cards for a while, especially against the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine war. Even in the unlikeliest of places, such as Rochdale, the issue has been at the forefront, paving the way for the upcoming UK General election.

But who exactly is George Galloway? 

With a career spanning four decades, he has been a constant figure in UK politics. He dominated the headlines in the early 2000s during the Iraq War and managed to draw eyes even during the relatively quiet years following his expulsion from the Labour Party due to comments made regarding the Iraq War. 

He has been no stranger to controversy and is deeply disliked by both the Tories and the Labour Party. At his swearing into Parliament as the Rochdale MP, it seemed none were willing to stand by his side for the introduction. And at his rousing speech afterwards, they were more interested in fiddling with their phones.

Being disliked has never been much of a deterrent for Galloway. He hasn't strayed much from the promises he'd made at the start of his career, even if it had cost him allies. Galloway's support for Palestine has been one of his most defining features. As he claims, it was after a trip to Lebanon in 1977 that he vowed to fight for the Palestinian and Arab cause.

The 1990s was a period of turmoil, as he was criticised for his very publicised relationship with Saddam Hussein. But the peak of his notoriety would come in the aftermath of the Iraq War where he, at the time a Labour Party MP, heavily criticised Tony Blair and George W Bush. 

In an interview in 2003, he likened Blair and Bush to wolves and said, "It is better for Blair and Bush to stop this crime and this catastrophe... The best thing British troops can do is to refuse to obey illegal orders."

Following these comments, he was suspended by Labour for incitement, before being expelled later on. The expulsion marked his beginning as a persistent fringe party element, the hits never really affecting his popularity or his notoriety. 

Galloway never shied away from sharing his opinions afterwards either. Not when he stood at a hearing before the United States Senate in 2005 for reportedly receiving illicit payments from Saddam's regime under the United Nation's Oil-For-Food programme, which he dismissed as a smokescreen. Not even later on where he labelled Bush the "world's biggest terrorist."

His win at Rochdale marked his return to the Parliament since his expulsion. But the circumstances around his win are convenient, having a lot to owe to the vacuum left by Azhar Ali, who had been representing Labour before being removed due to comments claiming Israel was complicit in the 7 October attack by Hamas. 

Rochdale, which has been a historically pro-Labour constituency, also has a high Muslim population, which makes up 30.5%. Galloway with his consistent history of support for Muslim and Palestine causes became the obvious choice to clinch a victory. 

Galloway's appeal is not just to the Muslim population however, as a self-described social conservative, who has opposed Scottish independence and backed Brexit, he also appeals to a significant conservative demographic. 

Following his victory he claimed, "to make Rochdale great again," where his commitment to Rochdale itself was met with some doubt from the opposition. As with all criticism thrown his way, however, Galloway simply moved on to seize his victory to turn the heat on Labour.

"This is going to spark a movement, a landslide, a shifting of the tectonic plates, a score of parliamentary constituencies, beginning here in the north-west…" and went on to add that, "Labour is on notice that they have lost the confidence of millions of their voters who loyally and traditionally voted for them generation after generation."   

He aimed at both Keri Starmer and Rishi Sunak in particular, claiming he would "try and stop Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer from collaborating" and "effectively facilitating the genocide in Gaza."

In response, both Starmer and Sunak voiced their concerns about the win, with Sunak labelling it "beyond alarming" and doubling down on extremism.

Galloway's remarks, despite his trademark flair and fire, serve as both a warning and a potential premonition for the election to come. The Israel-Palestine conflict's role in shaping geopolitical issues has never been more powerful and increasingly it has become a key driving influence on Western politics. 

While leaders of major parties like Labour and the Tories have failed to condemn Israel's actions and support a ceasefire, independent, fringe elements like Galloway have racked up the support they have lost. 

It is not just Muslims who are ready to ditch old loyalties and settle for MPs aligned with the Palestinian cause, whichever party that may be, but the trend is becoming more evident among other demographics as well. In a survey by YouGov, it was found that 66% of the British public now support a ceasefire, an increase from the 59% recorded in November.

Starmer has a historic momentum, Labour is currently polling at 44% on YouGov's vote intention tracker, while the Conservatives are trailing at only 20%. The question now is whether Starmer's reluctance to denounce Israel will cost him points that may prove precious in the coming months. 

Further constituencies that like Rochdale were Labour strongholds could be in danger. Voters are more likely to vote for sympathetic independents or abstain altogether. How the election could play out is bound to change further in the future, but one thing is certain, George Galloway has certainly caused a tectonic shift.