Azhar Ali

[Quickenthetempo]

I'm not interested in the politics of why he has been on the news but

Why is the Rochdale Labour candidate wearing a Burnley hat on the news?
Has he any links to Burnley? Or just a fan?

Not sure many Rochdale fans would like that?

[Gaia]

He is from this area, lives in Brierfield. There was a photo in the media yesterday of Keir Starmer holding a Burnley shirt next to Azhar Ali.

[claretandy]

Can't speak a word of the queen's English though...

[BurnleyFC]

I'm not interested in the politics of why he has been on the news but

Why is the Rochdale Labour candidate wearing a Burnley hat on the news?
Has he any links to Burnley? Or just a fan?

Not sure many Rochdale fans would like that?

There’s literally loads of Burnley fans in Rochdale.

[gawthorpe_view]

There’s literally loads of Burnley fans in Rochdale.

Ellen Smith's coaches used to bus them in during the 70s.

[Bosscat]

FLqrIkzXIAgTLDg.jpeg (112.11 KiB) Viewed 4103 times

[Quickenthetempo]

There’s literally loads of Burnley fans in Rochdale.

I just remember the stick their fans used to give us in the 4th division days.
Not quite Stockport hatred but not far off.

[AlargeClaret]

Can't speak a word of the queen's English though...

He speaks English perfectly well

[Swizzlestick]

Can't speak a word of the queen's English though...

Yes he can.

[AlargeClaret]

I can’t stand the guy or his politics but he speaks perfectly good English . The video that sent Tommeh’s followers crazy was where he stood with another Asian MP who was translating to Urdu . The loons thought it was the Lab candidate himself who was talking Urdu because he “couldn’t speak English”

[ClaretAndJew]

The Queen is dead also

[Casper2]

Can't speak a word of the queen's English though...

Don’t you mean the Kings English, then again being so ignorant that’s a minor detail.

[ElectroClaret]

The other guy in the news today, Graham Jones, certainly wouldn't be seen wearing a Clarets shirt.

Staunch R*vers fan.

[distortiondave]

I'm 90% certain he sat next to/in front of/behind me and my dad in the Bob Lord for a few years.
For some reason we had a season where I was number 113 and my dad was number 111, so 112 was open to a mystery guest and I'm sure it was often him.

[clansman]

Jones is a Rovers fan and complete bell end

[Jellybean]

How utterly typical that Burnley FC get inadvertently brought into this! Was hoping it was a West Ham kit but thanks for the detail on where he's from!

[bfcjg]

Can he play in Central midfield ?

[Westleigh]

Imagine him and Starmer buying out Burnley.

[TheFamilyCat]

Jones is a Rovers fan and complete bell end

The two things usually go hand in hand.

[distortiondave]

When the (Lancashire)(Evening)Telegraph had a fan opinion section on the weekends football for Burnley and Blackburn, I seem to remember he was on it a lot.

[Rowls]

I'm 90% certain he sat next to/in front of/behind me and my dad in the Bob Lord for a few years.
For some reason we had a season where I was number 113 and my dad was number 111, so 112 was open to a mystery guest and I'm sure it was often him.

Definitely looks like him but I haven't seen him there for years and I'm not the best with faces.

[AmbleClaret]

Can't speak a word of the queen's English though...

You need to stop reading the Express and Mail,bad for you.

[Rowls]

I'm 90% certain he sat next to/in front of/behind me and my dad in the Bob Lord for a few years.
For some reason we had a season where I was number 113 and my dad was number 111, so 112 was open to a mystery guest and I'm sure it was often him.

Yeah I think it's him. Found a pic from a few years ago and 99% sure it's the same guy.

Got himself a nice OBE for his services too.

Just think: Back in the early 2000s when I was living in Nottm, if I told people I was a Burnley fan, more often than not the next question was, "So are you a racist?" or "Do you support the BNP?"

We've come a long way since then when the people of Burnley were stereotyped as an insular townsfolk who went around peddling racist conspiracy theories.

[TheFamilyCat]

Yeah I think it's him. Found a pic from a few years ago and 99% sure it's the same guy.

Got himself a nice OBE for his services too.

Just think: Back in the early 2000s when I was living in Nottm, if I told people I was a Burnley fan, more often than not the next question was, "So are you a racist?" or "Do you support the BNP?"

We've come a long way since then when the people of Burnley were stereotyped as an insular townsfolk who went around peddling racist conspiracy theories.

Until claretandy posts.

[Rowls]

Or, as it turns out, the Labour candidate* for Rochdale opens his mouth.

*(as he was)

NB: I've no idea who claretandy is and I can't recall any of his posts.

[TheFamilyCat]

Or, as it turns out, the Labour candidate* for Rochdale opens his mouth.

*(as he was)

NB: I've no idea who claretandy is and I can't recall any of his posts.

Have a quick look at the 3rd post.

[Clarets4me]

I trust the powers that be will be looking at rescinding his OBE ...

[jrgbfc]

Hasn't he been the Labour candidate for Pendle the last few years? Up against Andrew Stephenson.

[Gaia]

Yes he has stood for Labour in Pendle against Stephenson, think it was 2019.

[abdulp]

He’s from Brierfield and is a county councillor for Nelson I think he’s been the Labour candidate at two recent elections. Pendle Labour Party rejected him when he tried to get the nomination before Christmas, maybe he was seen as on course to lose a third time. Labour have chosen a guy raised in Downham who had worked as a police inspector for the Met until last year. Presumably Ali went for the Rochdale nomination after being rejected by the local Labour group

[abdulp]

He’s from Brierfield and is a county councillor for Nelson. I think he’s been the Labour candidate at two recent elections. Pendle Labour Party rejected him when he tried to get the nomination before Christmas, maybe he was seen as on course to lose a third time. Labour have chosen a guy raised in Downham who had worked as a police inspector for the Met until last year. Presumably Ali went for the Rochdale nomination after being rejected by the local Labour group

[claretonthecoast1882]

Is it really a shock both main parties have turds in them.

[bfcjg]

I know you need talent in politics but I'm sure there must be someone in Rochdale's Labour Party membership who could represent the town and be good enough to perhaps get a ministerial role . I remember when Kitty Usher was selected to represent Burnley, what a waste of space she was, knew nothing about Burnley but was a Blairite so that was all that was required.

[The Hung Juror]

I'm 90% certain he sat next to/in front of/behind me and my dad in the Bob Lord for a few years.
For some reason we had a season where I was number 113 and my dad was number 111, so 112 was open to a mystery guest and I'm sure it was often him.

Yes, I thought he was a season ticket holder, he sat near me in the Bob Lord. As did Brendan Flood just in front of me.

[dougcollins]

Kitty Usher sat next to me in the JHL.

[abdulp]

Asher Ali secured the Rochdale nomination after beating Paul Waugh, a well known national political journalist. The selection process process was a farce, done with undue haste following the death of the sitting MP. Waugh was born and raised on a Rochdale council estate and a lifelong Rochdale supporter, looks like his ethnic background didn’t suit those running Rochdale Labour Party.

[evensteadiereddie]

"looks like" not fact, then.

[GetIntoEm]

"looks like" not fact, then.

as good as fact. People aint stupid, we know how this works.

just watch at the next Burnley council elections where all these disgraced Labour Councillors spring up as independents but still get the votes.

[evensteadiereddie]

"As good as" not fact, then.
I don't know the makeup of the Rochdale electorate but perhaps the bloke was selected because, ironically, he was seen to have the best chance of winning.

[abdulp]

It’s worked out well picking a winner didn’t it? Because of Labour’s incompetence checking the background of candidates we are likely to have the insufferable George Galloway back in Parliament

[abdulp]

It worked out well picking a winner didn’t it? Because of Labour’s incompetence checking the background of candidates we are likely to have the insufferable George Galloway back in Parliament

[mdd2]

Be great to get George back into the House IMO. I love the way he debates. Dont agree with his opinions but he is a wonderful debater. As was Tony Benn another politician whose views I didnt agree with.
I

[Clarets4me]

"As good as" not fact, then.
I don't know the makeup of the Rochdale electorate but perhaps the bloke was selected because, ironically, he was seen to have the best chance of winning.

74% White British, 19% Asian/Asian British, 7% Other .... according to the 2021 Census.

This is now politically quite interesting, what effect will Labour's disowning of it's Candidate have ? George Galloway is standing for the " Worker's Party ". He has previously won at a General Election in Bethnal Green & Bow ( 2005 ), a by-election in Bradford West ( 2012 ) and took over 20% in the Batley and Spen by-election ( 2021 ), which nearly allowed the Tories to win because of " splitting " the vote, Labour held on by 323 votes ... All the above contests were in constituencies with a sizable Asian/Muslim vote ...

He's now favourite to win, following Labour's withdrawal of support for Mr Ali ...

[evensteadiereddie]

It’s worked out well picking a winner didn’t it? Because of Labour’s incompetence checking the background of candidates we are likely to have the insufferable George Galloway back in Parliament

That's why I used the word "ironically"....

[ŽižkovClaret]

Kitty Usher sat next to me in the JHL.

Never quite decided who was more to blame for the massive decline in Labour vote in Burnley, her being crap, or the mechanism and machinations that parachuted her in.

That said, still waiting for the Lib Dems to bring the A&E dept back to Burnley.......

[fatboy47]

You need to stop reading the Express and Mail,bad for you.

He can read?

[Clarets4me]

Never quite decided who was more to blame for the massive decline in Labour vote in Burnley, her being crap, or the mechanism and machinations that parachuted her in.

Whole books have been written on the gradual decline of the Labour vote in Northern and Midlands post industrial towns ....

My take is that they voted against the establishment ... in these places, many voters had had a Labour MP, Labour run Borough Council and County Council, as well as local Labour Councillors. Far from the Tories being the establishment, Labour were the establishment in these areas. In 2019, there was the additional spectre of Jeremy Corbyn being the prospective Prime Minister ...

[daveisaclaret]

I agree with that take. That they voted against the local establishment by voting for the actual establishment is pretty important though, and it seems most have learned one of two obvious lessons from it - don't vote Tory or just don't vote.



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