Richard Tice

[Alex]

Not afraid to say how it really went down !

Now the polls have closed, people across the UK need to know the truth about this election campaign - and the implications for our democracy.

To suggest that a parliamentary election in this country has not been truly free and fair is a very serious allegation indeed.

Unfortunately however, the behaviour of certain candidates and their supporters in this contest fell very far short of this our traditional democratic standards. What we have witnessed and experienced in Rochdale is deeply disturbing.

In recent weeks, Reform UK's candidate and campaign team has:

- been subjected to death threats
- suffered vile racist abuse
- been refused entry to hustings in a public building
- had to be relocated for their own safety
- suffered daily intimidation and slurs

In one incident, Reform UK business supporters were threatened with a firebomb attack if they distributed our leaflets. Menacing behaviour was a feature of the entire campaign, including outside polling stations on the day of the election itself. In this ugliest of contests, we are also concerned by the sudden increase in the size of the postal vote, which has jumped from 14,000 to some 23,000 in this constituency since the last general election.

The results of the Rochdale by-election should act as a stark wake up call to those in power – and the entire electorate. This is Britain. We are supposed to be a beacon of democracy. This shameful contest has been more characteristic of a failed state.
Unless something dramatic changes, our fear is that it will be repeated in dozens of constituencies across the UK at the general election. By Christmas, we face the prospect of numerous extremist anti-Semitic lawmakers in the House of Commons.

[JBR]

I completely agree Alex.

I think that this particular election in Rochdale was unusual in that the Labour candidate was removed, presumably for appropriate reasons.
I know that the people of Rochdale are, and always have been, staunchly left-wing and due to a lack of any definitely left-wing candidate, Galloway was the obvious choice for that particular electorate!
Naturally, having left the Labour party, he was obliged to join (or perhaps create) another option, and this turned out to be the 'Workers' Party'.
I see that he has also founded the Respect Party and Viva Palestina, demonstrating to any Jews living in Rochdale (if there still are any) that they are unlikely to benefit from his election.

My own feelings of this result are rather mixed.  On the one hand, it has reduced Sir Kneeler's party's hopes by one definite seat, but at the same time it has also removed one possible seat from Reform's hopes.
In any event, I'm afraid that any hopes I had for this country somehow resolving its continued plummet into the depths seem to have been dashed!

[muddy]

It was a mistake  I think for Simon Danczuk to stand for Reform 
This is not a man whose personal life stands up to much scrutiny .
It's a pity they had no one better .

[Alex]

Yes why on earth did they put him in Rochdale ?
Hadn't they checked why he lost the Rochdale seat once before when he was in the Labour Party ?