After swearing allegiance to the monarch, Galloway shook hands with Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, before heading off to address journalists waiting outside parliament.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Galloway lifted a refrain from U.S. Republican frontrunner and former President Donald Trump as he vowed to “make Rochdale great again.”
“It’s my job to try to make Rochdale great again,” he said outside parliament. “And I know some of you don’t like that slogan but Rochdale was great, and why should it not be great again?”
Following his win in Rochdale, Galloway — whose views on Israel and foreign policy have at times courted controversy — vowed to raise the plight of Palestinians in parliament and to be a thorn in the side of Labour.
As he was grilled by journalists Monday, Galloway accused Israel of carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza, citing the case brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice.
Galloway, who has previously made clear his anti-NATO stance, was also asked if he supports Ukraine in its resistance to Russia’s invasion. Galloway said he “absolutely oppose[s] the ironclad consensus for war.”
This story has been updated with further reporting from Galloway’s press conference.