George Galloway by-election – live: Rochdale MP says he ‘despises’ Rishi Sunak after PM hits out at results

George Galloway has hit back at “little Rishi Sunak” to say he “despises” the prime minister, after the latter expressed his alarm at the chaotic Rochdale by-election result.

The newly elected Workers Party MP told Sky News: “You talk as if this is God. We’re talking about little Rishi Sunak, in the fag end of his prime ministership. Don’t talk to me as if he’s come down from the Mount with tablets of stone.”

In a speech outside No 10 on Friday evening, the PM said the result in Rochdale was “beyond alarming”, as he claimed pro-Palestine protests had “descended into intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence”, and said democracy was being targeted by extremists.

But Mr Galloway – who took 12,335 votes in Rochdale on Thursday – pointed to polling finding that just 12 per cent of voters have faith in political parties as he retorted on Saturday that “British democracy is in danger alright, but not from me”, describing Mr Sunak as being “in office but not in power”.