If Ali had been allowed to run on an anti-Israel platform he’d have won though?
Enforcing discipline is what has led to this humiliation; it will lead to more of them too, come the GE.
Would have to be living in a hedge not to know Ali had been deselected by Labour and had he won he would have not represented the parliamentary party.
Thus Labour had not been campaigning for him for over two weeks, so no leafletting, no canvassing, no Labour posters, no knocking up on the day (to get the vote out), no offers of transport to the polling stations, no party machine to check actual voters against expected voters.
Some people like a gobby git like Galloway because they think he/she will stir things up and get noticed by the powers that be. I'm sure right wing media is shouting and the hapless will parrot about how embarrassing it is for Labour.
Labour took a hit for cohesion over inflammatory divisive rhetoric. And its what i want to see more in politics.
However, take your win with Galloway and be happy for once.