ROCHDALE voters go to the polls today in a by-election campaign centred on the Gaza crisis.

Former Labour and Respect MP George Galloway is an odds-on favourite to win his fourth different parliamentary constituency on the strength of his lifelong campaigning for Palestine.

The campaign has been marked by low farce, with both the Labour and Green candidates disowned by their parties yet still appearing on the ballot paper.

This introduced an element of unpredictability to the result. 

It is believed that the former Labour candidate Azhar Ali, dropped by the party because he was caught sharing conspiracy theories, has still been campaigning under the radar.

Another ex-Labour MP, Simon Danczuk, who represented the town until removed from the party for inappropriate conduct towards a 17-year-old girl, is standing for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.

Muslim voters account for around a third of the electorate in the town, previously held by Labour, and have been central to Mr Galloway’s hopes of victory.

The result is expected in the early hours of tomorrow morning.