Voters in the northern English town of Rochdale say they have little enthusiasm for an election this week dominated by political disputes over the Gaza war and paving the way for leftist firebrand George Galloway to return to parliament.
Britain's opposition Labour Party, riding high in the polls nationally, had been the clear favourite to retain the seat until its candidate Azhar Ali was recorded espousing conspiracy theories about Israel, forcing the party to ditch him.
He remains in the race as an independent, leaving Labour with no official candidate, and giving the impetus to the veteran left winger.
Labour has been engulfed by an internal battle over its policy towards the Gaza conflict, after its leader Keir Starmer initially gave full backing to Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. The party has recently called for a ceasefire.
While the result of Thursday's vote is unlikely to dent Labour's standing in the opinion polls, fielding no candidate robs it of the momentum it was building after winning two seats from the governing Conservatives this month, potentially just months ahead of a national election.
Galloway had himself been thrown out of Labour more than two decades ago over his opposition to the Iraq war, and went on to represent two other parliamentary seats, including Bradford, which he declared an "Israel-free zone" in 2014.
Locals in Rochdale, a former cotton mill town which sits 10 miles (16 km) north of Manchester, look on with bewilderment.
"I think it's pointless really. What are they actually going to do for the community?" asked Jagga Singh, 33, who manages market stalls in the town centre.
"Our town is going downhill, every single day. I've been supporting Labour all my life, my family as well. But what have they actually done for us? Nothing."
Rochdale in 2019 ranked in the top 5% most deprived local authorities in England, according to official statistics.
Almost one in five of its residents are Asian by ethnic group - double the proportion nationally.
While a new shopping complex and refurbished town hall dominate the centre of Rochdale, much of the rest of the town comprises rows of small, Victorian terraced houses. Pro-Palestine slogans adorn brick walls in some areas.
GAZA CONFLICT
Bookmakers say Galloway, leader of the far-left Workers Party of Britain, is now the odds-on favourite to become the town's next member of parliament.
An outspoken Scot, Galloway said he wanted to highlight the sense of Rochdale's decline, local governance and the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"Gaza obviously matters ... not only (to) Muslims, certainly all Muslims, but also many others," Galloway, 69, told Reuters.
"(Rochdale) had an identity and that identity has been gradually erased. So I'm trying to put Rochdale back on the map, nationally and internationally."
Other parties say Galloway is a political opportunist who has turned up to capitalise on Rochdale's troubles.
"Obviously we've had a lot of outsiders come in and this by-election is somewhat strange now, but I'm here for the people of Rochdale," said Paul Ellison, who is standing as the Conservative Party's candidate.
Galloway said it was "Labour schtick" to suggest he was an opportunist, adding that he had long connections with the Manchester regions and knew the town well.
Whoever wins on Thursday will have a tough challenge in overcoming a sense of despondency that now runs deeply through Rochdale's voters.
Pensioner Brian Edwards, standing with his wife Pat outside the town hall, said he doubted Galloway could provide any answers.
"I can't be doing with the fella," he said.
"We've lived here a long, long, time ... It used to be a nice town. But I don't know what's going on now."
