Has Labour’s Rochdale debacle gifted George Galloway an open goal?

What was set to be a straightforward contest to replace the late Labour MP Tony Lloyd, who died of blood cancer aged 73, has been mired by a series of scandals. Archie Mitchell asks how we got here, and what will happen next

The front runner to win, George Galloway, is one of the most divisive figures in British politics (PA)

Voters in Rochdale will head to the polls on Thursday for one of the most controversial by-elections in recent history. What was set to be a straightforward contest to replace the late Labour MP Tony Lloyd, who died of blood cancer in January aged 73, has been mired by a series of scandals, with residents left facing an invidious choice.

Rochdale was considered a safe Labour seat, having been won with a comfortable 10,000 majority in 2019, but it is now anything but. Labour no longer has a candidate in the contest, and the front runner to win, George Galloway, is one of the most divisive figures in British politics.

So, how did it come to this, and what should voters look out for on Thursday?