Eleven candidates announced for Rochdale by-election

Eleven candidates have been announced in a by-election which was called after the death of a veteran Labour MP.

Among those in the running for the seat include Labour's Azhar Ali, Liberal Democrat Iain Donaldson and Conservative Paul Ellison.

Simon Danczuk, who previously held the seat, will stand for Reform UK.

Sir Tony, who was first elected to represent Stretford in 1983 and also served as MP for Manchester Central, was elected MP for Rochdale in 2017 and held the seat with a 9,668 majority in 2019.

Mr Ali is currently the leader of the Labour group on Lancashire County Council, representing Nelson East, while landscaping business owner Mr Ellison is a former winner of Rochdale Man of the Year and Mr Donaldson is a university administrator and former Manchester councillor.

Mr Danczuk, who was the Labour MP in the town for seven years, stood as an independent in 2017.

He will be joined on the ballot by fellow former Labour MP George Galloway, who will be representing The Workers Party of Great Britain.

Former solicitor and tribunal judge Guy Otten will stand for the Green Party in the poll, alongside climate campaigner and Anglican priest Mark Coleman and William Howarth, the co-founder of local group Parents Against Grooming UK.

Independents David Tully and Michael Howarth and Ravin Rodent Subortna of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party make up the list of eleven candidates.

The by-election will take place on 29 February.