Rochdale is a disaster for Labour – but the Conservatives are in trouble, too

With Keir Starmer tripped up by allegations of antisemitism against his suspended candidate, the Tories should be striding ahead. Here’s why they’re not, explains Sean O’Grady

Voters in Rochdale say they have now ‘tuned out’ of local politics (PA)

The people of Rochdale obviously deserve better than the current chaos over their next member of parliament, however short that term of office may turn out to be.

More than half of those who voted in 2019, hardly a vintage year for Labour, chose the now-late Tony Lloyd, a distinguished public servant. Yet the party has somehow contrived to provide the electorate with a disgraced and disowned replacement whose name will still appear on the ballot paper.

In that context, it is interesting that those behind the leak of Azhar Ali’s antisemitic words – which included the suggestion Israel had allowed the 7 October attack by Hamas to happen, to provide a pretext for invading Gaza – and their publication in The Mail on Sunday, chose to drop the bombshell after the close of nominations, when it was impossible for Labour to change its candidate, thus heightening the problem for the party, and adding to the distress of the electors of Rochdale. The meeting at which the remarks reputedly were made was some months ago.