General election 2010: Galloway loses Poplar vote
By Aled Thomas
Maverick Respect MP George Galloway has lost his fight in Poplar and Limehouse.
Having held the neighbouring Bethnal Green and Bow seat since 2005, the ex-Labour MP turned his attention to the seat of Labour incumbent Jim Fitzpatrick.
The battle between Mr Galloway and Mr Fitzpatrick was bitterly fought and some felt it could split the left vote so much that it could even let the Tory candidate in.
But minister Mr Fitzpatrick won comfortably, in one of the few seats to swing from Conservatives to Labour, albeit by only one per cent.
He won 40% of the vote to get 18,679, a majority of 6,030 over Conservative Tim Archer.
Mr Galloway will be disappointed to come in third with only 17.5% of the vote, in a result which raises questions over the political future of one of British politics’ most colourful recent characters.
