George Galloway has declared himself the real Corbynista candidate in Manchester Gorton’s by-election. Speaking at an event in Manchester yesterday Galloway said:
“Keith Vaz chose the Labour candidate in Manchester Gorton. Keith Vaz and his boss Tom Watson: the back-stabbing coup plotters against Jeremy Corbyn.
“So don’t imagine that I’m asking you to vote against the ideals of Labour. I am – and always will be – a real Labour man.
“In fact, if I’m elected, I’ll be one of the only MPs sitting behind Jeremy Corbyn without a knife in my hand trying to stab him in the back.
“If you think about it these by-elections, one after the other, are a continuation of the coup against Corbyn by other means.
“They choose an anti-Corbyn candidate and if he or she wins that’s another back-stabber in Parliament behind Corbyn.”
Hard to disagree…
Afzal Khan, who tweeted comparing Israel to Nazis and is a fan of Ayatollah Khomeini, has won Labour’s selection in Gorton. He beat the Momentum candidate Yasmine Dar in the final round last night. Keith Vaz arranged an all-Asian shortlist of which Khan was always going to be the overwhelming favourite – he’s been sniffing around Gerald Kaufman’s seat for years…
As events were unfolding yesterday, Khan was busy deleting all of his previous tweets, which included various attacks on Israel. He’s cannier than Gareth Snell, you’ve gotta give him that…
Yesterday Guido revealed that three out of the five candidates on Labour’s Manchester Gorton shortlist openly back the Khomeinist Iranian regime. Today we look at the fourth name on the shortlist, local councillor Luthfur Rahman…
In 2009 Councillor Luthfur Rahman stood trial accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was said to have been involved in a fight at Manchester’s Shah Jalal mosque following Friday prayers. It was claimed Rahman was part of a mob who set upon another man during a dispute over the sacking of an Imam. He denied the charges. Opening for the prosecution the Crown’s barrister said:
“They pushed and dragged Mokbul Ali to the floor and then all five of them variously punched and kicked him as he lay on the floor struggling to protect himself. He lost consciousness for a short while but others present dragged those five defendants away from him to end the violence there in the prayer hall of the mosque.”
The case against Councillor Rahman was dropped after he and the other defendants agreed to be bound over. Judge Robert Atherton ordered the defendants to keep the peace for 12 months or pay £500 each. The measure is used by a judge when they believe there is a risk an individual may breach the peace in future. When contacted by Guido this afternoon, Councillor Rahman, the man who wants to be Gorton’s next MP, said: “I’ve been told not to speak to the media”. Seriously, do Labour not do any candidate vetting any more?
Three out of the five candidates on Labour’s final shortlist in Manchester Gorton have attended Khomeinist rallies backing the Iranian regime, Guido can reveal. Afzal Khan and Yasmine Dar spoke last month at a rally held to celebrate the “38th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran“. The event took place in the Manchester Islamic Centre in a room adorned with giant Iranian flags and a banner emblazoned with the face of Ayatollah Khomeini…
A video shot during the rally appears to show the room was at least partially segregated, with women and children sitting at the back:
Khan and Dar shared the platform with controversial economist Professor Rodney Shakespeare who has previously described Britain and the US as “countries controlled by Zionism”. In a 2012 interview with Iran Review – conducted by a journalist from Iranian state broadcaster Press TV – Shakespeare said:
“All Western foreign policy is highly influenced, or controlled, by Zionism… countries [are] controlled by Zionism e.g., the USA and the UK… The UN and Security Council are essentially controlled by the USA and its cronies all of whose foreign policy is controlled by Zionism. All the American intelligence agencies, MI6 and even Mossad know that Iran is not building a bomb but there are Zionist cliques in the governments and these cliques are determined to keep the nuclear fears continuing as they try to organise an attack on Iran.”
Last month Shakespeare told Press TV:
“The UK is supporting Saudi Arabia’s regime as part of supporting what is going to be a coming war in the Middle East, essentially to forward the interests of the Zionist Israel… UK politics is controlled by Zionism.”
Gorton candidate Afzal Khan said at the rally:
“It’s a pleasure to be here, I was a young man when the revolution actually happened, one of those who was excited… almost everything has been thrown towards Iran, even the kitchen sink, but what we’ve seen is that despite this long period, despite all these different challenges, that Iran has systematically been moving forward, getting stronger… may Allah bless Iran…”
Fellow candidate Yasmine Dar said in her speech:
“It’s an absolute honour… honourable guests here today thank you so much for this opportunity… we’re here for a celebration, a happy time, 38 years of the Iranian Islamic revolution so I’m absolutely happy, it’s the third year that I’ve been coming… I keep it in my diary and make sure that I’m here… I feel I am absolutely proud when I hear the stories about Iran was based on diplomacy…”
A third name on the Gorton shortlist, Nasrin Ali, has attended a similar rally in the past. A tweet from her personal twitter account – now deleted – shows her “at the celebration if [sic] the 36th anniversary of the Islamic Republic of Iran“. Afzal Khan and Yasmine Dar are also listed as attending…
Quite remarkable: three out of five Gorton candidates openly back the Iranian regime and its Islamic revolution…
George Galloway has announced he’s standing in the Gorton by-election… randomly in a blog on Arron Banks’ Westmonster website. His pitch is to get Tony Blair put on trial, defend Palestine and compare himself to football management legends Matt Busby and Pep Guardiola:
“I want to continue [Gerald Kaufman’s] work on international issues – which are particularly important in Gorton – especially the issues of Palestine and Kashmir but also the broader questions, the dangerous confrontation between the west and the Muslim world which threatens all of us…
I opposed Tony Blair with all my heart and soul and paid for it with my expulsion from the party in 2003 – after 36 years membership. This week is the 14th anniversary of the Iraq War against which I was one of the leaders of the greatest mass movements ever seen in this country. I make this plain here – if I am re-elected to Parliament I will seek to put Mr. Blair on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity and lying to the British Parliament and people…
Whether it’s my speeches in Parliament or on the streets, my films, my TV shows, my radio shows, my work on social media where I have over a million followers, when I’m fighting for Gorton everyone will know about it. Everyone will have to listen. I have been six times elected to Parliament and I don’t think even my worst enemy would deny my impact there…
It’s true I’m not local but then neither was Sir Matt Busby. Neither was Sir Alex Ferguson nor Pep Guardiola nor Jose Mourinho. Like them I want to work for you, for Gorton, for Manchester.
I am like Sir Matt a Scot of Irish background. There are plenty of us around Manchester. My 40 year relationship with Pakistan and Bangladesh my 40 years with the Arabs mean I can speak the language. I can talk the talk but I also walk the walk.
If I were to win here it would be the Mother of All by-election victories for “The hard working people of Gorton” who would never be forgotten again.”
Apparently not a spoof. The LibDems won’t believe their luck…
The shortlist for the Labour candidate in Manchester Gorton is:
Afzal Khan, Luthfur Rahman, Amina Lone, Yasmin Dar, Nasrin Ali
Afzal Khan is the overwhelming favourite, he has been after the seat for years. Guido readers will remember he tweeted comparing Israelis to Nazis. The Corbynistas once again failed to stitch up the seat for their preferred candidate Sam Wheeler, despite interventions from Corbyn and Karie Murphy. Pity the people of Gorton…
