Ed Miliband reveals why he ‘sacked’ Emily Thornberry

Ed Miliband has revealed why he told a member of his front bench team she had to resign.

The Labour leader spoke with shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry last night after she came under fire for posting this picture on the day of the Rochester and Strood by-election, for which she later apologised.

Sources told LabourList that Miliband was “the angriest he’s ever been yesterday”, and after a discussion with Thornberry she agreed she should step down.

Miliband has given a brief interview on the subject with broadcasters today on the issue, when really the main story is the Tories losing the Rochester and Strood by-election to Ukip.

He said that the tweeted “conveyed a sense of disrespect”.

That is not my view, that is not Labour’s view, that will never be Labour’s view.

• Ed Miliband

Since then the story has taken a turn for the bizarre, or inevitable, as despite initially telling the Sun he was not that offended by Thornberry’s tweet, the man whose house was photographed Dan Ware - henceforth to be known as White Van Dan - has travelled down to north London to demand an apology from the Labour MP in person.

Miliband meanwhile continues to flail around on the issue, which has now surely been blown out of all proportion.

And as ever in recent political history, there is only really one winner...

More: [What you need to know about Ukip's second by-election win]3