Overview

• Labour's candidate for the Rochdale byelection, Azhar Ali, has been sacked following controversial remarks about Israel, leading to a crisis for party leader Sir Keir Starmer.
• Ali's comments, suggesting Israel allowed a massacre to justify military action, have sparked widespread criticism and a formal complaint for antisemitism.
• Despite an apology from Ali, Labour has withdrawn its support, leaving the party without a candidate as his name remains on the ballot.
• The controversy has overshadowed Labour's campaign in other byelections and may impact the party's lead in opinion polls.
• George Galloway and Simon Danczuk emerge as key contenders in the Rochdale byelection, with Labour's usual electoral machine compromised.