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George Galloway sworn in as Rochdale MP after byelection victory George Galloway sworn in as Rochdale MP after byelection victory
(32 minutes later)
Workers party leader meets speaker of House of Commons as parliament returns after weekendWorkers party leader meets speaker of House of Commons as parliament returns after weekend
George Galloway has been sworn in as the MP for Rochdale as parliament returned for the first time since the Workers party leader’s byelection win last week.George Galloway has been sworn in as the MP for Rochdale as parliament returned for the first time since the Workers party leader’s byelection win last week.
He was accompanied by the father of the House of Commons Peter Bottomley, and the Alba party MP, Neale Hanvey . In line with House of Commons procedure, he was accompanied into the chamber by the two MPs who had sponsored him – the Conservative father of the house, Peter Bottomley, and the former SNP member Neale Hanvey, who is now a member of the Alba party.
The former Labour MP met the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, after arriving earlier in the morning at Westminster. Galloway, regarded by some to be one of the most divisive politicians in Britain, won almost 40% of the vote in last Thursday’s vote after a campaign centred on the conflict in Gaza.
Galloway, regarded by some to be one of the most divisive politicians in Britain, won almost 40% of the vote in last Thursday’s vote after waging a campaign centred on the conflict in Gaza. Galloway was watched from the public gallery by his wife, Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, and a small group of others including James Giles, a London councillor who leads the Kingston Independent Residents party and was involved in the campaign in Rochdale.
“I’ve always loved the building – the people in it not quite so much,” he told reporters on arrival at parliament on Monday morning. Galloway held a copy of the Bible as he swore an oath of allegiance to the king, before shaking hands with the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, and leaving the chamber.
More details soon … His return to the Commons means he will have represented five different constituencies: Glasgow Hillhead, Glasgow Kelvin, Bethnal Green and Bow, Bradford West and Rochdale.
“I’ve always loved the building, the people in it not quite so much,” he told reporters as he arrived at parliament.