Bandwagon

The morning after the night before.

The city has been awash with media crews trying to decode George Galloway's Bradford West by-election victory, and Galloway took to the streets for several victory laps in his "battle bus".

For non-UK readers, here's a quick recap.

This article from a week ago comes the closest to explaining the Galloway allure in the constituency. On a few occasions during the past week I've come across him in earnest conversations with groups of young Bradfordians, and it's been impossible to avoid his banners and placards in the lead up to the vote. The national media have mainly ignored the fact that Bradford West is a university constituency. To me it seems it's the bright, idealistic young things of the uni and the college that Galloway has got fired up, and who took that message back to their neighbourhoods.

He's certainly brought attention to the city, and now we'll have to see if that can be wielded in Westminster and elsewhere to good effect. The first promise we'll hold him to: Save Our Odeon