Labour’s decision to shy away from an EU referendum has cost it a senior figure. The Telegraph reveals that Harriet Yeo, the former chairman of Labour’s National Executive Committee between 2012 and 2013, has quit the party over Ed Miliband’s refusal to offer a referendum. Although she hasn’t joined Ukip, she will be lending her support to the party at the next election.
Nigel Farage is naturally pleased with the news. In a statement this afternoon, he said:
‘A life long Trade Unionist and Labour Party member who served as Chair of Ed Miliband’s NEC she is yet another voice calling for Britain to have a choice about its future. We are welcoming support from across the board and Harriet’s support is evidence of this.’
Yeo’s defection might not be as straight forward as Farage has painted. According to LabourList, she was removed as leader of the Labour group on Ashford Council last week. Following this, Yeo was deselected as a candidate for the local elections and quit the party the next day.
Regardless of the exact circumstances, she is just the sort of person Ukip wants as proof it can attract Labour as well as Tory types. A trade unionist for two decades and former president of the TSSA union, she offers more proof that Ukip is a home for disgruntled politicos from across the spectrum. She has previously attacked the trade union movement for its ‘awful’ culture, ‘outrageous’ behaviour of its members, arguing that they are ‘stuck in a time warp.’
She is the most senior Labour figure to defect to Ukip. Rumours of some MPs considering switching sides continue to go around, with Simon Danczuk, Austin Mitchell and Frank Field mentioned in the past. But with just 79 days till polling day, it’s unlikely any MPs will cross the floor now.
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