i morning briefing: George Galloway returns

Welcome to Friday’s Early Edition from i.

George Galloway is a man with a long and deeply controversial political history, and now he has begun another sensational chapter. Some 37 years after he was first elected as an MP, the divisive politician has taken his fourth parliamentary seat, representing his third political party. This time, as leader of the Workers Party of Britain in the seat of Rochdale. From the start of his career he has courted controversy, and has not stopped. In 2003 he was fired from the Labour Party over his statements about the Iraq War, when he called on British troops to “refuse to obey illegal orders”. In 2005 he won the Bethnal Green election standing for his Respect Party. The following year, while still an MP, he appeared on national television pretending to be a cat during his stint in Celebrity Big Brother. He’s been fired from a radio show, sacked as a columnist, and once, briefly backed Nigel Farage over Brexit. “Never write off George Galloway” i‘s former political editor warned in 2021. Those words have proved wise. In the early hours of this morning Mr Galloway delivered a stark message to Labour. “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza,” he announced as he took to the podium. What does his win mean, and what else did we learn from the chaotic Rochdale by-election? We’ll take a look after the headlines.

 Today’s news, and why it matters

 British taxpayers would give Rwanda up to £600m to relocate 300 people to the central African nation under the controversial deportation deal, a report shows. The “staggering” cost of the scheme, including £11,000 for each asylum seeker’s plane ticket, is laid bare for the first time in a report by the National Audit Office.

MPs have launched an inquiry into the effectiveness of the UK’s economic sanctions on Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Treasury Committee said it will examine whether the UK’s sanction programme is hampering Vladimir Putin’s ability to fund Russia’s armed forces.

A flagship Government recycling scheme is set to be delayed until 2028, meaning it would not come into force until 10 years after it was first announced when Theresa May was prime minister, i can reveal. Ministers have “halted” work on the project, which was designed to offer small cash sums to consumers who return their bottles and cans, industry sources told i.

The Home Office is facing fresh scrutiny over its use of an RAF base to house asylum seekers after an official report was unearthed warning of radiation and unexploded ordnance at the site. A report, seen by i, from the Ministry of Defence warned of “unexploded ordnance”, radiation and “spills and leaks” at RAF Wethersfield, Essex, which might pose a “risk to human health”.

Wayne Couzens’ deviant behaviour may have started almost 30 years before the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard and includes a second alleged kidnapping and the alleged sexual assault of a child, a damning report has found. Alleged offences included attempting to kidnap someone at knifepoint, raping a woman under a bridge and indecent exposure, a report on the first part of a Home Office-commissioned inquiry into his policing career concluded.

Jeremy Hunt’s desire to cut personal tax by 2p has been thrown further into doubt after the Budget watchdog delivered worse-than-expected economic forecasts, i understands. The Chancellor had submitted a draft of headline policies he is planning for the Budget, including tax cuts, to the Office for Budget Responsibility earlier this week.

A glamping site has been forced to close over complaints from people who live near it about “sex noises” and loud karaoke parties. Secret Garden Glamping in Lymington had applied for retrospective permission from New Forest District Council to continue running the site in the garden of a semi-detached house in the Hampshire town.

Three takeaways from the Rochdale by-election:

A chaotic, controversial and highly divided election: Eleven candidates stood in what would normally be a clear Labour win, and the results showed just how split voters were. Mr Galloway was the clear winner with 12,335 votes, and following behind him was newcomer and local businessman David Tully, with an impressive 6,638. Paul Ellison, who stood for the Conservatives, took 3,731 votes, Azhar Ali, Labour’s former candidate trailed behind with 2,402. The Lib Dems were only a few hundred votes off that, with 2,164. Reform UK, who performed well at the by-elections in Kingswood and Wellingborough recently, secured just 1,968 – just over 6 per cent – of the vote. The lead up to it had been marred not only by the controversy surrounding Labour’s candidate, but also by accusations of intimidation throughout the campaign. Richard Tice, leader of the Reform party, said the poll in Rochdale had “not been a free and fair election”. He alleged that his party’s candidate and campaign team were subjected to “death threats, vile racist abuse… and had to be relocated for their own safety”. He said: “They have suffered daily intimidation and slurs.” William Howarth, an independent candidate, agreed there had been an “element of intimidation” running through the election campaign. When Mr Galloway was asked if his supporters had engaged in bad behaviour, he said: “Absolutely none. Ask the police, ask the police if a single one of our supporters has been arrested or spoken to by them.”

The Gaza conflict becomes an election issue: Mr Galloway made his warning to Keir Starmer loud and clear as his victory was declared. He said: “Keir Starmer – this is for Gaza. And you will pay a high price, in enabling, encouraging and covering for, the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip.” He later added: “I want to tell Mr Starmer above all, that the plates have shifted tonight. Beginning here in the North West, in the West Midlands, in London, from Ilford to Bethnal Green and Bow, 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. Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are two cheeks of the same backside and they both got well and truly spanked tonight!” Labour wasn’t able to stand a candidate in the election, after it was forced to pull support amid a row over antisemitism. But it is probable that the Labour Party is likely to be concerned that the Middle East conflict could become a wedge issue in certain seats.

What else might it mean for the general election? Mr Galloway has claimed that his party could run scores of parliamentary candidates in the next general election. He told the BBC: “We’ve got 60 parliamentary candidates but we won’t necessarily use them all, we’re open to negotiations with others…I think this victory tonight will spread far. Last week his party tweeted: “We’ve had over a hundred applications to stand in the general election for the Workers Party. We hope to give an interview to as many as possible, but please be patient as we process the papers.” But the other question might be whether George Galloway holds onto his newly-won seat when it comes to a general election.

Around the world

 Small boats arrivals in UK tourist hotspot are working in hotels and bars. British tourists visiting the popular winter sun destination are mostly unaware of the terrifying journeys ending not far from their hotels, reports Graham Keeley.

More than 100 people have been killed after Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Hospital workers initially reported an Israeli strike on the crowd in Gaza City but witnesses later said Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods from lorries.

At least 43 people have been killed after a fire broke out in a multi-storey building in Bangladesh, the country’s health minister says. Samanta Lal Sen] said that at least 33 people, including women and children, had been declared dead at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Meta says it will stop paying Australian publishers for news, and plans to shut down its news tab in Australia and the United States. The news tab – a dedicated tab for news in the bookmarks section of Facebook – will also shut down in April, following a similar shut down in the UK, Germany and France last year.

More than 1 billion children, adolescents and adults live with obesity around the world, making it the most common form of malnutrition in many countries, according to an analysis published in The Lancet. The statistic was reached earlier than anticipated.

 Watch out for…

 A US federal judge, who is today expected to set a trial date for the classified documents case against Donald Trump. The decision could affect whether the Republican frontrunner faces a jury this year. 

 Thoughts for the day

 What should be in the Budget (and what should Jeremy Hunt avoid). With the Conservatives still battling to make headway in the opinion polls, boldness is the only viable option, argues Sebastian Payne.

Willy’s Chocolate Experience is the British equivalent of the Fyre Festival – and I love it. Every detail to come out of the wreckage is more jaw-droppingly, delightfully horrifying than the last, says Emily Watkins.

I’ve banned Bluey from the house – it’s a terrible influence on my four-year-old. The mischief made by a cartoon dog may be fun for a finite period, but not when repeated ad-infinitum in real life, explains Colin Drury.

Culture Break

 ‘In the pub it’s too intense for men to talk. Walking makes it easier’. Bill Bailey talks to Shaun Curran about the existential threat of artificial intelligence, how winning Strictly changed his fanbase and why going on a pub walk is like therapy.

The Big Read

 Revealed: The Wall Street mega-landlords buying up UK homes. Private equity firms have fuelled a surge in “build-to-rent” investment, which hit record levels last year, reports Alexa Phillips.

Sport

 My three-word plea for the new F1 season: Anyone But Verstappen. Can anyone break Red Bull’s stranglehold over Formula One, asks Kevin Garside.

Something to brighten your day

 The daily habits to make your entire life easier. From getting repetitive to the “two-minute rule”, expert tips for a smoother routine.