George has fallen in love with Rochdale

WORKERS PARTY COUNCILLOR SAYS FORMER MP WILL STICK AROUND WITH NORTH WEST HEADQUARTERS PLANNED

- GEORGE LYTHGOE

IN FEBRUARY, political heavyweight George Galloway landed in Rochdale and put the Workers Party on the map.

After the 69-year-old stormed to victory in the winter by-election, he put his former party on notice by threatening to oust Labour from the local council. That didn't entirely materialise come the local elections in May when he only got two Workers Party councillors into office.

After a general election was called in the summer, earlier than expected, the sun did not shine on Mr Galloway's next battle as he was out by July 4. Almost five months after his byelection win, the former Labour man came second to his old party by just under 2,000 votes. Labour's Paul Waugh took the seat from Mr Galloway with 13,027 votes.

This left a number of his party's councillors in the region without a parliamentary backer in the House of Commons. All of the party's 151 parliamentary candidates failed to get a seat in the House of Commons.

The question on everyone's mind in the aftermath was whether Mr Galloway would stick around and make good on his promise to make Rochdale the base of operations for the party.

That has now been answered after the Workers Party said it will open an office on Drake Street to act as their North West HQ.

The party's group leader on Rochdale council, Farooq Ahmed, said this shows Mr Galloway's commitment to the town.

"There is demand locally (for the Workers Party)," Mr Ahmed, a councillor for the Central Rochdale ward, claimed. "Membership is growing quite rapidly as people want to join us. We have lots we want to do soon, which I will make clear very soon."