Left-wing firebrand George Galloway only won the Rochdale by-election because Labour did not stand a candidate, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Apologising to voters in the Greater Manchester seat, the opposition leader insisted it was the “right decision” to ditch Azhar Ali from the party slate after he became engulfed in an antisemitism row.

Sir Keir also vowed to field a “unifier” at the upcoming general election.

Politics Live: Starmer reacts to Rochdale defeat as Galloway questioned over Israel-Palestine comments

His comments came after the political comeback of Mr Galloway, taking Rochdale for the Workers Party of Britain with almost 40% of the vote following a campaign dogged by controversy and dominated by the Middle East conflict.

The former Labour MP and Celebrity Big Brother contestant, who gained 12,335 votes, a majority of 5,697, on a turnout of 39.7%, dedicated his victory to Gaza and claimed the Labour leader had “sold his soul to the Israel lobby”.

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Pressed over whether he accepted it was Labour’s fault that Mr Galloway was back in the Commons, Sir Keir said: “Galloway only won because Labour didn’t stand a candidate.

“I regret that we had to withdraw our candidate, I apologise to voters in Rochdale, but I took that decision – it was the right decision – and when I say I’ve changed the Labour Party, I mean it.

“Obviously, we will put a first class candidate, a unifier before the voters in Rochdale at the general election.”