It seems there was a large turnout for the launch of Workers’ Party candidate George Galloway’s campaign to win the Rochdale by-election:

The poll will happen on February 29, after the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd.

As Rochdale is considered to have been a Labour seat, it seems logical to believe the Labour candidate is the one for others to beat, and it seems that Galloway has a lot of support…

But what does he stand for?

There’s a 10-point plan:

• Withdrawal from NATO and an end to imperialist wars and financial domination.
• Restoration of British industry, providing useful, secure jobs for all in decent conditions, with a living wage, paid holidays, sick leave, maternity leave.
• Decent, cheap and secure housing for all.
• High quality, free pre-school childcare and education, followed by high quality, free, lifelong education and vocational training.
• Free and comprehensive healthcare with no waiting lists; easy access to cheap and nutritious food.
• High quality public facilities enabling women to take part in work and public life without prejudice or physical barriers.
• High quality, free provision of all necessary support services for the disabled and senior citizens. Full state support to enable families to look after their older members, with nursing homes and sheltered accommodation for those in need of it, so everybody is able to live a full, dignified and meaningful life.
• Universal access to a cheap or free, fully-integrated public transport system and all essential amenities: water, sanitation, heating, electricity, mail, telephone and internet.
• Open and easy access to all forms of culture and the media.
• A government that prioritises resources on the solving of urgent problems such as the need to live sustainably and protect the natural environment, putting science at the service of the people.

And there’s a manifesto on the Workers’ Party of Britain website, here, to explain how this can be achieved.

So if you’re registered as a voter in Rochdale, have a look at what’s on offer.

There are other candidates, and they all should have policy documents, so allow me to repeat:

You simply cannot vote tribally – for the party you think represents you.

Instead – and I cannot stress this strongly enough – if you want your vote to mean anything, you have to actually find out what the candidates are planning to do, if they are lucky enough to be elected.

That is what party manifestos are for. Independent candidates also have policy documents and they should all be online for you to find and read.

You need to find and read these policy documents, and then you need to make a dispassionate choice, based on what you have read.

Which of the candidates offers the most policies that fit what you need? And, by that, I mean: who will improve your own life the most?

Do not consider how your vote will affect anything else. That is not your concern.

It is not for you to worry about whether your choice of candidate will be able to enact their policies. This is a by-election, mere months ahead of a general election; what matters is the message the result sends to the mainstream parties across the UK.

BE SELFISH. Bizarrely, it might be the only way to get the kind of government that all of us need.

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