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.

London mayoral hopeful David Lammy said politicians from "liberal, professional backgrounds" were finding it hard to identify with ordinary working people.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Lammy said a heavily-criticised tweet by then shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry was merely a symptom of the party's problems.

"The Labour Party feels culturally adrift, not just from large parts of Britain, but from its own traditional working class base," he wrote.

Ed Miliband has sought to diffuse the row over Emily Thornberry's 'white van tweet' by saying Labour remains "the party of working people".

He said he was "furious" when he learned of Ms Thornberry's posting an image of a house festooned with England flags and that it was right for her to resign.

Writing in the Daily Mirror, Mr Miliband said: "Respect is the basic rule of politics and there is nothing unusual or odd about having England flags in your window. That is why she was right to resign."

Read: PM says Miliband's Labour 'sneers at patriotic people'

Labour leader Ed Miliband has rejected claims his party is anti-English after one of his shadow cabinet stood down for what her critics described as a "sneering" tweet on the Rochester campaign trail.

The owner of the house whose proud display of England flags had prompted Emily Thornberry's tweet arrived - by his white van - to place a St George's Cross at her London home as part of a tabloid publicity stunt.

But as ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen reports, he received support from Mr Miliband, who said: "There is nothing unusual or odd about having England flags in your window."

• Labour MP says she 'got it wrong' as England flag tied to her home rails

David Cameron has accused Labour of sneering at patriotic working people after Emily Thornberry was forced to stand down as shadow attorney general over her white van Rochester tweet.

The Islington South MP's picture tweet was said to have enraged Labour leader Ed Miliband while it was condemned by a number of her party colleagues.

But Mr Cameron claimed the incident accurately represented the party's stance under Mr Miliband.

• England flag tied to Labour MP's house after tweet resignation

The Labour MP who resigned from the shadow cabinet after her white van Rochester tweet has said she "got it wrong" as a flag of St George was tied to railings outside her London home.

Emily Thornberry, the former shadow attorney general, stood down after facing criticism for her photo that appeared to ridicule a Rochester home with three large England flags draped across the front of the house.

The Islington South MP spoke to reporters outside her house before cycling off to Parliament.

• Read: Farage says Labour has become 'increasingly 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.

• Read: Tory MP says tide is turning against Ukip despite latest win

Labour MP Emily Thornberry did the "right thing" to resign from the shadow cabinet after sending a tweet appearing to ridicule a home owner in Rochester, shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander has told Good Morning Britain.

Ms Thornberry, who held the position of shadow attorney general, caused uproar during yesterday's by-election by sending out a picture of a house draped with England flags, and with a white van in the drive, with the words "Image from #Rochester".

• Rochester home owner calls Thornberry a 'snob'

The owner of the house and white van which Emily Thornbury took a photo of before posting it on Twitter has said the MP is a "snob".

Dan Ware,told The Sun: "I've not got a clue who she is, but she's a snob".

He said the flags had been left up since being raised when England played in the football World Cup in May.

"We will continue to fly it," he added.

Mr Ware, a 37-year-old father of four, told the newspaper he could not remember when he last voted.

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt has said he is "very sad" to lose his "trusted and good" colleague Emily Thornberry following the MP's resignation.

He told BBC2's Newsnight: "I think it's very sad to lose a trusted and good colleague in the run-up to a general election.

"But we should also be very clear that we are hugely in favour in the Labour Party of people expressing pride in their national identity and national symbols.

Labour revealed that Emily Thornberry had spoken to leader Ed Miliband a second time following her initial apology.

A party source said: "Ed and Emily had a second conversation.

"She thought the right thing to do was to resign. Ed agreed."