In a blog for UK in a Changing Europe, Professor Robert Ford analyses the circumstances behind Galloway’s surprising victory in the Rochdale by-election. Ford argues that the large swing to Galloway must be understood against the unique circumstances of the by-election, such that Labour’s disavowal of their own candidate.
‘Rochdale was almost like a natural experiment to see how low the Labour vote would go if voters are given no information, are not mobilised, and are actively discouraged from supporting the party’s candidate. It is difficult to imagine more favourable circumstances for outsiders and insurgents.’
Nonetheless, Ford maintains that the Rochdale results may still worry Labour in a volatile electoral landscape where they can no longer rely on old loyalties.
Professor Rob Ford is co-author of The British General Election of 2019, published by Palgrave Macmillan.
* This article was originally published here
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