Labour leader Ed Miliband expressed his anger with one of his closest allies yesterday after she was forced to resign for posting a “disrespectful” picture on social media relating to the Rochester and Strood by-election.

Emily Thornberry was forced to quit as shadow attorney general after her image on Twitter (pictured) of a house draped in England flags with a white van parked outside with the message “Image from Rochester” provoked a storm of protest.

Mr Miliband said Ms Thornberry was right to resign as she had been disrespectful to the family who live in the house, but added that he did not think she had intended to sneer at them.