Caption
Image from Rochester
On polling day in Rochester and Strood, Emily Thornberry posted a photograph showing flags on a house and a white van outside.
Archived copy Emily Thornberry biography
Why it mattered
Critics interpreted the image as a comment on the people who lived there. Thornberry apologised and resigned as shadow attorney general that evening. The episode took place during a by-election in which UKIP was challenging the Conservatives for the seat.
Sources
- Emily Thornberry resigns from shadow cabinet over Rochester tweet
- Emily Thornberry quits shadow cabinet: Full statement – ITV News
- Mark Garnier’s ‘laughing’ gaffe: when politics and Twitter don’t mix