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Labour ‘founded for working people’, Miliband tells white van man Labour ‘founded for working people’, Miliband tells white van man
(about 1 hour later)
Ed Miliband was forced to issue a statement on Friday affirming that the Labour party was “founded for working people” as he moved to limit the political damage of a tweet by the former shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry of a picture of a house decked out in St George’s flags.Ed Miliband was forced to issue a statement on Friday affirming that the Labour party was “founded for working people” as he moved to limit the political damage of a tweet by the former shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry of a picture of a house decked out in St George’s flags.
As the Tories expressed delight in private that the row over the tweet of an English flag and a white van had distracted attention from a major byelection setback in Rochester and Strood, the Labour leader censured Thornberry for a “disrespectful” tweet.As the Tories expressed delight in private that the row over the tweet of an English flag and a white van had distracted attention from a major byelection setback in Rochester and Strood, the Labour leader censured Thornberry for a “disrespectful” tweet.
Miliband, who was said to have been incandescent after learning of the tweet, moved to repair the damage with a crucial part of the electorate by saying that he felt “respect” for voters who displayed English flags and drove white vans. Miliband, who is said to have been incandescent after learning of the tweet, moved to repair the damage with a crucial part of the electorate by saying that he felt “respect” for voters who displayed English flags and drove white vans.
“What goes through my mind is respect,” Miliband said on Friday after he had in effect forced Thornberry to resign from the shadow cabinet in two phone calls on Thursday night.“What goes through my mind is respect,” Miliband said on Friday after he had in effect forced Thornberry to resign from the shadow cabinet in two phone calls on Thursday night.
He added: “Respect is the basic rule of politics and I’m afraid her tweet conveyed a sense of disrespect. There is nothing unusual or odd, as her tweet implied, about having England flags in your window. That is why I was so angry about it and that is why I think it is right she resigned.”He added: “Respect is the basic rule of politics and I’m afraid her tweet conveyed a sense of disrespect. There is nothing unusual or odd, as her tweet implied, about having England flags in your window. That is why I was so angry about it and that is why I think it is right she resigned.”
The prime minister, whose aides were delighted that the Labour row overshadowed the loss of a second Tory parliamentary seat after Mark Reckless secured a decisive Ukip victory in the north Kent constituency, moved to exploit his opponents’ embarrassment. Cameron said: “Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closest allies and aides. Effectively what this means is that Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country, and I think that is absolutely appalling.” The prime minister, whose aides were delighted that the Labour row overshadowed the loss of a second Tory parliamentary seat after Mark Reckless secured a decisive Ukip victory in the north Kent constituency, moved to exploit his opponents’ embarrassment. David Cameron said: “Emily Thornberry is one of Ed Miliband’s closest allies and aides. Effectively what this means is that Ed Miliband’s Labour party sneers at people who work hard, who are patriotic and who love their country, and I think that is absolutely appalling.”
The attack was seen by Labour leadership loyalists, some of whom had felt personal sympathy for Thornberry, to vindicate Miliband’s decision to sack her and to disassociate himself from her tweet. There had been some concerns that Miliband had over-reacted by dismissing one of his earliest supporters in the 2010 Labour leadership contest and who had written the simple words “Images from #Rochester.” There was strong personal sympathy for her in the shadow cabinet but frontbenchers believed that Miliband had been right to act. “Emily did not mean to cause offence,” one said. “But it was a pretty bad misjudgment. I do have sympathy for her.” The attack was seen by Labour leadership loyalists, some of whom had felt personal sympathy for Thornberry, to vindicate Miliband’s decision to sack her and to disassociate himself from her tweet. There had been some concerns that Miliband had over-reacted by dismissing one of his earliest supporters in the 2010 Labour leadership contest and who had written the simple words “Images from #Rochester.” There was strong personal sympathy for her in the shadow cabinet, but frontbenchers believed that Miliband had been right to act. “Emily did not mean to cause offence,” one said. “But it was a pretty bad misjudgment. I do have sympathy for her.”
Thornberry was making clear in private what she said in public: she is determined to see a Labour victory and thought it was right to leave the shadow cabinet if her presence made that more difficult.Thornberry was making clear in private what she said in public: she is determined to see a Labour victory and thought it was right to leave the shadow cabinet if her presence made that more difficult.
Miliband, who has placed reaching out to disaffected voters at the centre of his leadership, made clear that he feared her tweet could inflict lasting damage when he said that Labour’s core mission was to champion working people. He said: “This is a party that was founded for working people, this is a party that I strive every day to make the party of working people. That’s why I was angry, that’s why it is right she has gone.”Miliband, who has placed reaching out to disaffected voters at the centre of his leadership, made clear that he feared her tweet could inflict lasting damage when he said that Labour’s core mission was to champion working people. He said: “This is a party that was founded for working people, this is a party that I strive every day to make the party of working people. That’s why I was angry, that’s why it is right she has gone.”
The focus on Labour meant that the prime minister escaped a major public postmortem in the wake of the loss of Rochester and Strood after pledging to throw the kitchen sink at the campaign. Reckless, who defected to Ukip in September, received 16,867 votes, 42.1% of the poll, in a seat listed as the 271st most likely to fall into Ukip hands. His Tory opponent, Kelly Tolhurst, took 13,947 votes (34.8%), a fall of 14.4 percentage points. Labour’s Naushabah Khan came third with 6,713 (16.8%, down 11.7 percentage points) and the Liberal Democrats won just 349 (0.9%, down 15.4 percentage points). The Lib Dems finished behind the Greens, who polled 1,692 (4.2%, up 2.7 percentage points).The focus on Labour meant that the prime minister escaped a major public postmortem in the wake of the loss of Rochester and Strood after pledging to throw the kitchen sink at the campaign. Reckless, who defected to Ukip in September, received 16,867 votes, 42.1% of the poll, in a seat listed as the 271st most likely to fall into Ukip hands. His Tory opponent, Kelly Tolhurst, took 13,947 votes (34.8%), a fall of 14.4 percentage points. Labour’s Naushabah Khan came third with 6,713 (16.8%, down 11.7 percentage points) and the Liberal Democrats won just 349 (0.9%, down 15.4 percentage points). The Lib Dems finished behind the Greens, who polled 1,692 (4.2%, up 2.7 percentage points).
The Tory leadership said the result was better than they feared and expressed confidence that they would recapture the seat in next year’s general election. Peter Kellner, the YouGov president, said the 4% swing needed by the Tories to win the seat in May was usually achievable by governments that lost byelections.The Tory leadership said the result was better than they feared and expressed confidence that they would recapture the seat in next year’s general election. Peter Kellner, the YouGov president, said the 4% swing needed by the Tories to win the seat in May was usually achievable by governments that lost byelections.
Cameron said: “The result was closer than the pollsters had predicted. I am absolutely determined to win this seat back at the next general election because anything other than a Conservative government will put our recovery at risk and Ed Miliband in Downing Street. I am more determined than ever to deliver security for Britain.”Cameron said: “The result was closer than the pollsters had predicted. I am absolutely determined to win this seat back at the next general election because anything other than a Conservative government will put our recovery at risk and Ed Miliband in Downing Street. I am more determined than ever to deliver security for Britain.”
Michael Gove, the Tory chief whip, reiterated his claim that no further Tory MPs would defect. Tory sources said they believed that MPs considering defecting would now think twice after Reckless failed to match the 59.7% of the vote secured by his fellow defector Douglas Carswell in Clacton.Michael Gove, the Tory chief whip, reiterated his claim that no further Tory MPs would defect. Tory sources said they believed that MPs considering defecting would now think twice after Reckless failed to match the 59.7% of the vote secured by his fellow defector Douglas Carswell in Clacton.
Two highly Eurosceptic Tory MPs said it would be wrong to defect to Ukip. Stewart Jackson, the Tory MP for Peterborough, tweeted that Reckless would be “gone in May”. Jackson had earlier tweeted: “Any Tory MP who defects to Ukip on the basis of the result in Rochester and Strood (whatever it is) would frankly be completely insane.”Two highly Eurosceptic Tory MPs said it would be wrong to defect to Ukip. Stewart Jackson, the Tory MP for Peterborough, tweeted that Reckless would be “gone in May”. Jackson had earlier tweeted: “Any Tory MP who defects to Ukip on the basis of the result in Rochester and Strood (whatever it is) would frankly be completely insane.”
Mark Pritchard, the Tory MP for the Wrekin, told ITV News that he had seriously considered defecting to Ukip. But Pritchard wrote: “Mark Reckless MP may have won another byelection for Ukip, but his defection is politically misguided and self-defeating.”Mark Pritchard, the Tory MP for the Wrekin, told ITV News that he had seriously considered defecting to Ukip. But Pritchard wrote: “Mark Reckless MP may have won another byelection for Ukip, but his defection is politically misguided and self-defeating.”
Nigel Farage, Ukip’s leader, said that there were unlikely to be imminent defections but urged Tory MPs in four constituencies to consider whether they would be better off standing for Ukip at the general election. He singled out seats identified by the academic Matthew Goodwin as ones where the MPs had no chance of holding the seats as Tories in May: Amber Valley (Nigel Mills), Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers), Bury North (David Nuttall) and Dudley South (Chris Kelly).Nigel Farage, Ukip’s leader, said that there were unlikely to be imminent defections but urged Tory MPs in four constituencies to consider whether they would be better off standing for Ukip at the general election. He singled out seats identified by the academic Matthew Goodwin as ones where the MPs had no chance of holding the seats as Tories in May: Amber Valley (Nigel Mills), Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers), Bury North (David Nuttall) and Dudley South (Chris Kelly).
Farage said: “If you are a Conservative MP sitting on a small majority against the Labour party, the further north of London you go, the bigger problem this becomes. You know you’ve lost next year. The Conservative party is literally dying in the urban north, the way it has in Scotland. It is for you to do the guessing game. Matthew Goodwin has already published a list of the Tory MPs who have no chance of winning on a blue rosette but might have a chance on a purple rosette. So let’s see what happens.”Farage said: “If you are a Conservative MP sitting on a small majority against the Labour party, the further north of London you go, the bigger problem this becomes. You know you’ve lost next year. The Conservative party is literally dying in the urban north, the way it has in Scotland. It is for you to do the guessing game. Matthew Goodwin has already published a list of the Tory MPs who have no chance of winning on a blue rosette but might have a chance on a purple rosette. So let’s see what happens.”
Asked whether those MPs were the ones he had spoken to about defecting, Farage said he could not remember. He also confirmed that he had spoken to Adam Holloway, the Eurosceptic Tory MP for Gravesham, but again, could not recall when, and would not elaborate on their conversation. Asked whether those MPs were the ones he had spoken to about defecting, Farage said he could not remember. He confirmed that he had spoken to Adam Holloway, the Eurosceptic Tory MP for Gravesham, but again, could not recall when, and would not elaborate on their conversation.
Farage, running on just 42 minutes’ sleep, gave the interview to newspapers after attending a “hell of a do” to celebrate the victory of Reckless, whose defection from the Conservatives triggered the byelection. It was held in the Tap ’n’ Tin nightclub in Chatham, and attended by more than 300 Ukip supporters, as well as members of the Official Monster Raving Loony party. Farage, running on just 42 minutes’ sleep, gave the interview to newspapers after attending a “hell of a do” to celebrate the victory of Reckless, whose defection from the Conservatives triggered the byelection. It was held in the Tap ’n’ Tin nightclub in Chatham and attended by more than 300 Ukip supporters, as well as members of the Official Monster Raving Loony party.
While refusing to name names, Farage said he believed more Conservative and possibly Labour MPs would defect, but that this was more likely to happen after Christmas. “I would be very surprised if there weren’t defections of MPs between now and the general election, simple as that.”While refusing to name names, Farage said he believed more Conservative and possibly Labour MPs would defect, but that this was more likely to happen after Christmas. “I would be very surprised if there weren’t defections of MPs between now and the general election, simple as that.”
He said Ukip was targeting “a few dozen” seats in 2015, and had been asking some locally picked candidates to step aside if they failed to pass the party’s rigorous central selection tests.He said Ukip was targeting “a few dozen” seats in 2015, and had been asking some locally picked candidates to step aside if they failed to pass the party’s rigorous central selection tests.
Speaking from Ukip’s Rochester and Strood headquarters, Farage revealed that the byelection had been won in the traditional Labour area of Strood and lost in the more typically Conservative area of Rochester, delivering the party the overall seat.Speaking from Ukip’s Rochester and Strood headquarters, Farage revealed that the byelection had been won in the traditional Labour area of Strood and lost in the more typically Conservative area of Rochester, delivering the party the overall seat.
“I would love a Labour defector because that would actually reinforce the message as to why we won this byelection yesterday,” he said. “We didn’t win in Rochester yesterday, Rochester was very difficult for us yesterday. Where we did win was in Strood and we won very well in Strood, and we did that, by picking up, yes, some Conservative votes in Strood but a lump of Labour votes in Strood and interestingly quite a significant number of non-voters. “I would love a Labour defector because that would actually reinforce the message as to why we won this byelection,” he said. “We didn’t win in Rochester; Rochester was very difficult for us. Where we did win was in Strood and we won very well in Strood, and we did that by picking up, yes, some Conservative votes in Strood but a lump of Labour votes in Strood and interestingly quite a significant number of non-voters.
“So we won this in what traditionally has been the Labour part of the constituency and that’s something which, until Heywood and Middleton, I don’t think people really understood just how powerful potentially our message was with Labour voters.“So we won this in what traditionally has been the Labour part of the constituency and that’s something which, until Heywood and Middleton, I don’t think people really understood just how powerful potentially our message was with Labour voters.
“A high-profile Labour defector would be terrific. Have we spoken to a few Labour people? Yes, we have. I don’t think Old Labour voters, when they look at the Labour leadership, even recognise that party as being part of their own tribe.”“A high-profile Labour defector would be terrific. Have we spoken to a few Labour people? Yes, we have. I don’t think Old Labour voters, when they look at the Labour leadership, even recognise that party as being part of their own tribe.”
Additional reporting: Gemma Atkinson and Fred Grace Additional reporting by Gemma Atkinson and Fred Grace