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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Miliband: Thornberry's 'white van, flag' tweet lacked respect | Miliband: Thornberry's 'white van, flag' tweet lacked respect |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Ed Miliband has said a Labour MP who tweeted a picture of a house with three England flags and a white van parked outside was "disrespectful". | |
| Emily Thornberry quit Labour's shadow cabinet and subsequently apologised over the picture, which was branded "snobby" by the family living there. | Emily Thornberry quit Labour's shadow cabinet and subsequently apologised over the picture, which was branded "snobby" by the family living there. |
| The Labour leader said he was "furious" about the tweet, which gave a "misleading impression". | |
| Labour has "a challenge in relation to UKIP", he admitted. | |
| Writing in the Daily Mirror, he added it was "a challenge I'm determined to meet". | |
| "I am not going to let UKIP get away with the claim they will stand up for working people," he pledged on Friday. | |
| Ms Thornberry posted the image on Thursday, while voting was taking place in the Rochester by-election. Alongside the picture, she wrote: "Image from Rochester". | Ms Thornberry posted the image on Thursday, while voting was taking place in the Rochester by-election. Alongside the picture, she wrote: "Image from Rochester". |
| Labour came third in the high-profile poll in Kent behind UKIP, which won the seat and saw its second MP elected to Westminster. | Labour came third in the high-profile poll in Kent behind UKIP, which won the seat and saw its second MP elected to Westminster. |
| Speaking outside her London home on Friday, Ms Thornberry said she had "made a mistake" and apologised "if she had upset or insulted anybody". | Speaking outside her London home on Friday, Ms Thornberry said she had "made a mistake" and apologised "if she had upset or insulted anybody". |
| But in the immediate aftermath of her resignation, she 'favourited' a number of tweets which lamented her standing down. | But in the immediate aftermath of her resignation, she 'favourited' a number of tweets which lamented her standing down. |
| The resident of the house, Dan Ware, said Ms Thornberry - the MP for Islington South and Finsbury - was a "snob" while her actions were also criticised by Conservative leader David Cameron and UKIP leader Nigel Farage. | The resident of the house, Dan Ware, said Ms Thornberry - the MP for Islington South and Finsbury - was a "snob" while her actions were also criticised by Conservative leader David Cameron and UKIP leader Nigel Farage. |
| Ms Thornberry is believed to have had two conversations with Mr Miliband on Thursday after posting the tweet, and offered her resignation during the second one. | Ms Thornberry is believed to have had two conversations with Mr Miliband on Thursday after posting the tweet, and offered her resignation during the second one. |
| The Labour leader said that although the MP may have not intended to cause offence, her actions had "conveyed a sense of disrespect". | The Labour leader said that although the MP may have not intended to cause offence, her actions had "conveyed a sense of disrespect". |
| "I was angry because I thought her tweet gave a misleading impression, when she photographed the house in which the family lived, that somehow Labour had the wrong view of that family," he told reporters as he entered a meeting in London earlier on Friday. | |
| "It's not the view we have of that family. Labour's never had that view of disrespect. I'm afraid her tweet conveyed a sense of disrespect." | "It's not the view we have of that family. Labour's never had that view of disrespect. I'm afraid her tweet conveyed a sense of disrespect." |
| Asked what reaction he felt when he saw such an image, Mr Miliband said "respect". | Asked what reaction he felt when he saw such an image, Mr Miliband said "respect". |
| He added: "I thought there was nothing unusual or odd, as her tweet implied, about having England flags in your window. | He added: "I thought there was nothing unusual or odd, as her tweet implied, about having England flags in your window. |
| "That's why I was so angry about it and that's why I think it's right that she resigned." | "That's why I was so angry about it and that's why I think it's right that she resigned." |
| Mr Ware, a car dealer, said he would never vote for Labour in the future, adding that it did not matter who was in government. | |
| "I've not got a clue who she is - but she's a snob," he told the Sun. "We put the flags up for the World Cup and will continue to fly them." | "I've not got a clue who she is - but she's a snob," he told the Sun. "We put the flags up for the World Cup and will continue to fly them." |
| "I think they (Labour) need to get out of their mansions and visit the working class. Her and Ed (Miliband) should come and say sorry to me." | "I think they (Labour) need to get out of their mansions and visit the working class. Her and Ed (Miliband) should come and say sorry to me." |
| 'Respect for voters' | 'Respect for voters' |
| BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the tweet had "given the Tory press an alternative narrative" to the party's defeat in Rochester. | BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the tweet had "given the Tory press an alternative narrative" to the party's defeat in Rochester. |
| 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." |
| Prime Minister David Cameron said the Labour MP's actions were "completely appalling", suggesting that she was "sneering at people who work hard, are patriotic and love their country". | Prime Minister David Cameron said the Labour MP's actions were "completely appalling", suggesting that she was "sneering at people who work hard, are patriotic and love their country". |
| 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 lives in Islington with her husband, the High Court judge Sir Christopher Nugee. | She lives in Islington with her husband, the High Court judge Sir Christopher Nugee. |
| 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. |
| Rochester and Strood: What's next for parties? | Rochester and Strood: What's next for parties? |
| How unusual is Rochester and Strood? | How unusual is Rochester and Strood? |
| Labour MPs said she had been right to stand down, with Chris Bryant telling the BBC "the first rule of politics is surely that you respect the voters". | Labour MPs said she had been right to stand down, with Chris Bryant telling the BBC "the first rule of politics is surely that you respect the voters". |
| And John Mann said the incident was "horrendous" for Labour. | And John Mann said the incident was "horrendous" for Labour. |
| "It insults people like me, it insults the people I know - my friends and family - Labour voters across the country because white vans, England flags, they're Labour values and actually pretty routine Labour values for most of us," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | |
| Mr Farage suggested Ms Thornberry had "looked down her nose at a white van in Strood with the cross of St George on it" and the episode reflected broader attitudes within parts of the Labour Party. | Mr Farage suggested Ms Thornberry had "looked down her nose at a white van in Strood with the cross of St George on it" and the episode reflected broader attitudes within parts of the Labour Party. |
| "The Labour Party hate the concept of Englishness," he told the BBC News Channel. "They have done for a very long time. | "The Labour Party hate the concept of Englishness," he told the BBC News Channel. "They have done for a very long time. |
| "New Labour can't even stand the concept of patriotism. They think the flag somehow is unpleasant, backward-looking and nasty. People like Emily Thornberry would rather we had that blue flag with 12 stars on it that comes to us from Brussels." | "New Labour can't even stand the concept of patriotism. They think the flag somehow is unpleasant, backward-looking and nasty. People like Emily Thornberry would rather we had that blue flag with 12 stars on it that comes to us from Brussels." |