Revealed: Cherie Blair voted for the Liberal Democrats in European elections

Wife of former Labour PM Tony Blair told friends she was "appalled" that Alastair Campbell was booted from party after he voted for the Liberal Democrats
It emerged today that Cherie Blair, wife for former Labour PM Tony Blair, voted for the Lib Dems in the EU elections
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Cherie Blair was among thousands of Labour Party members who voted Liberal Democrat last week, the Standard has learned.

The disclosure piles pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to make a U-turn on the expulsion of members who backed rival parties in the European elections.

She has told friends that she was “appalled” by the instant ejection of Alastair Campbell, the former director of communications at No 10, after he publicly admitted voting Lib Dem tactically in an attempt to shift Labour off the fence on Brexit.

The revelation follows an extraordinary rebellion on social media where Labour members used the hashtag #expelmetoo to dare Mr Corbyn’s officials to throw them out of the party.

Alastair Campbell was expelled from the Labour Party after admitting he voted Lib Dem
PA

Among big names who have gone public by saying they also voted for another party were former Home Secretary Charles Clarke, former Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth and ex-minister Fiona McTaggart.

Pressure also mounted as one of Labour’s most respected legal figures, former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer, told the Standard today that he believes the expulsion of Mr Campbell was not supported by the party’s rulebook and would be overturned by a court if there was a legal challenge.

Mrs Blair is one of Labour’s best-known campaigners, a QC and rights crusader who shot to fame at the side of her husband, former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“She was absolutely steaming about the way Alastair was treated,” a family friend told the Standard.

“She has had some very well-documented ups and downs with Campbell over the years, but she thought the way he was kicked out was appalling.”

The friend revealed: “In common with many, many other Labour Party members and supporters, she also voted Liberal Democrat in the hope that enough people would do the same thing and Labour would shift its position.

“She is not making a big thing of it. She also knows other people who have done exactly the same thing and are being made to feel they may be expelled, which is utterly absurd.”

Mrs Blair, whose husband Tony voted Labour last week, also believes the heavy-handed action against Mr Campbell “contrasted hugely” with the way that Labour under the Blairites tolerated dissenters like arch-rebel Mr Corbyn, and its treatment of members who backed Ken Livingstone’s campaign to become Mayor London against official candidate Frank Dobson.

Mr Corbyn himself once congratulated ex-MP George Galloway for winning a by election against a Labour candidate.

His aide Andrew Fisher was merely suspended when he wrote, in a tweet that has since been deleted, that people should vote for a Class War candidate in an election rather than Labour’s Emily Benn, granddaughter of Left-winger Tony Benn.

Former Speaker Betty Boothroyd also revealed that she did not vote Labour. She branded the expulsion as the “daftest and most insensitive” decision that the Corbyn leadership had made.

Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, joined the rebellion by saying a purge of members would be “spiteful”.

Mr Campbell was sent a letter within a day of admitting he voted Lib Dem for the first time in his life in the hope that Mr Corbyn would recognise the huge support for a second referendum in his party and alter policy.

Lord Falconer, told the Standard that the decision would be overturned if challenged in a court.

“I think it is absolutely appalling that Alastair has been expelled,” he said. “It is not justified by the rules.

“Those Labour voters who have voted tactically to get rid of Tories would be horrified by this interpretation.”

Labour’s shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti promised the Campbell expulsion would be “reviewed” today.

She said parties have “automatic rules” for people who vote for other parties, but added that Mr Campbell could be allowed back.

“I don’t want to cut across this review, I’m not part of that process,” she said on Today.

“Political parties have rules about people who support other parties, but I hope this case will be reviewed.”

Baroness Chakrabarti said many people had decided not to vote for Labour for “heartfelt reasons” and this should not be grounds for expulsion. She said she hoped the review could be conducted quickly.

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