Rochdale deserves further pondering. Although it was one of the most publicised by-elections in recent years, three in five voters absented themselves. A further 6,000 of them voted for a local businessman with no political background. This is further proof that the locals knew what was happening. Those who stayed away made a conscious decision. So, apart from Geoge Galloway, the other winner was Malvolio and his verdict on the two main parties: “A plague on both your houses.”