Government minister Bim Afolami says left-wing firebrand George Galloway win at the Rochdale by-election last week “really shows the rotten state of the Labour Party”. The economic secretary to the Treasury also says the prime minister “cares deeply about community cohesion” after Rishi Sunak’s speech which called out “extremist behaviour” on Friday. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 I'm not keen on seeing George Galloway in the House of Commons,
00:03 but the people of Rochester have a right to choose
00:05 who they want to represent them.
00:07 I think this really shows that the Labour Party hasn't changed.
00:11 The Labour Party, in an area that, frankly, is a safe Labour seat
00:14 and always has been, chose somebody with abhorrent views.
00:18 Abhorrent views.
00:20 And yet it took Keir Starmer days and days and days to decide what to do.
00:24 I think that George Galloway in the House of Commons really shows
00:26 the rotten state of the Labour Party.
00:28 The Prime Minister's speech on Friday
00:32 showed that you've got a Prime Minister who cares deeply
00:35 about the community cohesion of our multicultural society
00:38 and very successful multiracial democracy
00:41 that he is very proud to be Prime Minister of.
00:43 That's what he is showing the public,
00:46 and that he is going to act to make sure we do not allow
00:50 extremist, intimidatory behaviour
00:53 that has grown in recent weeks and months.
00:56 And in relation to Lee Anderson, it's very clear.
00:59 He was asked to... What he said was wrong.
01:02 He was asked to apologise. He refused to apologise.
01:04 The Conservative Party said, "Right, that's it.
01:06 "We're suspending the whip from you."
01:07 I think that that is sensible, swift action,
01:12 and, you know, he has to live with that because he did not apologise.