Galloway Tweet Hails Poll Win In Wrong Town

George Galloway has gained 6,000 new Twitter followers after his dramatic Bradford West by-election victory - then apparently welcomed them by hailing his triumph in "Blackburn".

The Respect MP had declared his victory the "Bradford Spring" after securing 10,000 more votes than his Labour rival on Thursday night.

He told Sky's Adam Boulton it had been the "best day of his life" and that the vote represented a rejection of the mainstream parties and their policies.

"There's a tidal wave waiting to break across many parts of the country and it broke... in Bradford," he told Sky News' political editor.

"That tidal wave is a wave of alienation, derision, towards the mainstream political parties and their leaders."

He then took to an open-top bus to celebrate, and on Saturday morning tweeted: "Welcome to the 6000 new followers. I will try to live up to your expectations. Shattered but happy after the Blackburn triumph."

Twitter users reacted with derision, forcing 57-year-old Mr Galloway to correct himself.

The MP then blamed the mis-tweet on his account being hacked, posting: "Nice try. Password now changed."

This prompted some to speculate that as the tweet said it had been sent from Mr Galloway's iPhone, the hacker must somehow have gained access to it.

The latest controversy comes a day after one of Mr Galloway's new constituents staged a lone protest by trying to pelt the MP with eggs as he celebrated his victory.

Mr Galloway, who was not hit, said it was too early for protests: "I've only just been elected. Unless he was protesting against the democratic process of the election."

The attack happened as the MP left his party's West Bradford headquarters and prepared to board the open-top bus for a tour of the city.

Eggs exploded on to the windows of the Chambers Solicitors office, where the campaign was based, and showered those standing below with yolks, egg whites and fragments of shell.

Mr Galloway said the eggs had not hit him, adding: "(The protester) wasn't very good."

He added: "Was he protesting? Against me? The man who got chosen by 56% of the people yesterday?"