COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

The ex Defence Secretary told the BBC he decided to publicise his vote in solidarity with Alistair Campbell, who was expelled for voting Lib Dem



Speaking on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire radio, he revealed that he voted against Labour for the first time in his life.

It comes after Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former spin doctor and a leading campaigner for a second referendum, was ousted from Labour after he backed the Liberal Democrats at the polls.

Mr Ainsworth, who was defence secretary under Gordon Brown, told the BBC he decided to publicise his vote in solidarity with Mr Campbell declaring: "When you see a guy being expelled from the party for doing exactly the same as you've done, you stick your hands up and say, 'I am Spartacus'."

"I consider Alistair Campbell to be a good friend and a man I admire greatly. He is Labour through and through - as am I," Mr Ainsworth said.

"Having recently voted Labour in local elections, I voted Green in the Euro elections having never voted other than Labour before in my entire life.

"I didn't intend to make this public, but now Alastair has been expelled for doing the same I feel obliged to do so."

BBC political journalist for Coventry and Warwickshire Simon Gilbert asked the Labour Party if Mr Ainsworth also faced expulsion from the party.

He tweeted: "The UK Labour Party have told me today they can’t reveal information about individual memberships as it would be a breach of data protection."