Their downstream series is much more about interviewing people with "interesting" ideas across the political spectrum, than just platforming people they agree with. They often contain lively disagreements with people from the right. In this case Galloway has foreign policy views that are similar to those of Novara but he has shown just how much of a social conservative he is, likely influenced by his own admission that he has become increasingly religious as he has aged.
I know next to nothing about this but I'd assume the public money cost would be around sending out all the voter cards, organising venues for the voting, cost of processing the votes at various stages etc.
Their downstream series is much more about interviewing people with "interesting" ideas across the political spectrum, than just platforming people they agree with. They often contain lively disagreements with people from the right. In this case Galloway has foreign policy views that are similar to those of Novara but he has shown just how much of a social conservative he is, likely influenced by his own admission that he has become increasingly religious as he has aged.