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Labour's Emily Thornberry quits over tweet | Labour's Emily Thornberry quits over tweet |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Labour's Emily Thornberry has resigned from the Labour front bench over a tweet she sent during the Rochester and Strood by-election campaign. | Labour's Emily Thornberry has resigned from the Labour front bench over a tweet she sent during the Rochester and Strood by-election campaign. |
The shadow attorney general previously apologised for the tweet, which showed a terraced house with three England flags, and a white van parked outside. | The shadow attorney general previously apologised for the tweet, which showed a terraced house with three England flags, and a white van parked outside. |
Alongside the picture, she wrote: "Image from Rochester". | Alongside the picture, she wrote: "Image from Rochester". |
She said she had not meant to cause offence, but Labour backbencher John Mann accused her of "snobbery". | She said she had not meant to cause offence, but Labour backbencher John Mann accused her of "snobbery". |
The by-election was triggered when Conservative MP Mark Reckless defected to the UK Independence Party and resigned his seat to seek re-election for UKIP. | |
Mr Reckless won the by-election with 16,867 votes from Conservative candidate Kelly Tolhurst on 13,947. | |
Labour's Naushabah Khan was third on 6,713, with the Green's Clive Gregory next with 1,692 votes and the Liberal Democrats back with 349. | |
Before the result was announced, BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the tweet had "given the Tory press an alternative narrative" to UKIP's expected victory in the by-election. | |
He said: "It is the most extraordinary self-inflicted wound I have seen an opposition party inflict on themselves in many, many years." | He said: "It is the most extraordinary self-inflicted wound I have seen an opposition party inflict on themselves in many, many years." |
Emily Thornberry | Emily Thornberry |
The 54-year-old entered Parliament as MP for Islington South and Finsbury in 2005 and served as shadow energy and health spokeswoman before taking the role of shadow attorney general in 2011. | The 54-year-old entered Parliament as MP for Islington South and Finsbury in 2005 and served as shadow energy and health spokeswoman before taking the role of shadow attorney general in 2011. |
The daughter of a former assistant secretary general of the United Nations, she was born in Surrey and was called to the bar in 1983, specialising in criminal law. | The daughter of a former assistant secretary general of the United Nations, she was born in Surrey and was called to the bar in 1983, specialising in criminal law. |
She had a majority of 3,569 over the Liberal Democrat candidate at the 2010 general election. | She had a majority of 3,569 over the Liberal Democrat candidate at the 2010 general election. |
Polls close in Rochester and Strood | Polls close in Rochester and Strood |
Rochester and Strood: What's at stake? | Rochester and Strood: What's at stake? |
How unusual is Rochester and Strood? | How unusual is Rochester and Strood? |
'Respecting voters' | 'Respecting voters' |
Ms Thornberry is believed to have had two conversations with Labour leader Ed Miliband since posting the tweet. | Ms Thornberry is believed to have had two conversations with Labour leader Ed Miliband since posting the tweet. |
A Labour source said in the second conversation she said she thought the right thing to do was to resign and Mr Miliband agreed. | A Labour source said in the second conversation she said she thought the right thing to do was to resign and Mr Miliband agreed. |
In a statement released by the Labour Party, Ms Thornberry said: "Earlier today I sent a tweet which has caused offence to some people. | In a statement released by the Labour Party, Ms Thornberry said: "Earlier today I sent a tweet which has caused offence to some people. |
"That was never my intention and I have apologised. | "That was never my intention and I have apologised. |
"However I will not let anything distract from Labour's chance to win the coming general election. | "However I will not let anything distract from Labour's chance to win the coming general election. |
"I have therefore tonight told Ed Miliband I will resign from the shadow cabinet." | "I have therefore tonight told Ed Miliband I will resign from the shadow cabinet." |
Labour's Chris Bryant told the BBC: "The first rule of politics is surely that you respect the voters." | Labour's Chris Bryant told the BBC: "The first rule of politics is surely that you respect the voters." |
"She was absolutely wrong to tweet what she did, and absolutely right to have resigned," he said. | "She was absolutely wrong to tweet what she did, and absolutely right to have resigned," he said. |
He added: "All I can say is, if somebody came into my constituency and did that, I would be furious." | He added: "All I can say is, if somebody came into my constituency and did that, I would be furious." |
Mr Mann said it was "out of touch" and "embarrassing". | Mr Mann said it was "out of touch" and "embarrassing". |
Earlier, UKIP leader Nigel Farage tweeted: "What is Labour's Emily Thornberry trying to imply about Rochester and Strood? I suspect she's let Miliband's mask slip." | Earlier, UKIP leader Nigel Farage tweeted: "What is Labour's Emily Thornberry trying to imply about Rochester and Strood? I suspect she's let Miliband's mask slip." |
Conservative Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith accused Ms Thornberry of "sneering at the electorate of Rochester". | Conservative Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith accused Ms Thornberry of "sneering at the electorate of Rochester". |