Advertisement

  1. National

Labour 'culturally adrift' from working classes, says ex-minister

The Labour party is "culturally adrift" from its traditional core voters, a former minister has warned in the wake of a row over alleged snobbery.

The criticism from London mayoral hopeful David Lammy follows a snobbery row after then shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry tweeted a photo of a home carrying three England flags with the words "image from Rochester".

View all 14 updates ›

Farage: Labour has 'increasingly become anti-English'

Nigel Farage has accused Labour of becoming "increasingly anti-English" despite Ed Miliband's swift action over Emily Thornberry's controversial Rochester tweet.

Ms Thornberry resigned from her position as shadow attorney general within hours of the tweet, which appeared to ridicule a white van-owning England fan, after two meetings with Mr Miliband.

But Mr Farage said the Labour leader was ineffective at turning the mood of a party he suggested now acted against England's interests.

I doubt they can make those inroads under this leader. I mean Labour has increasingly become anti-English over time, happy to pander in every way to Scotland, but somehow this Labour Party or new Labour believes that any sense of English identity is disreputable and wrong.

– Nigel Farage, speaking on BBC Radio 4

More top news