One of Labour’s most senior figures defected to Ukip last night in protest at Ed Miliband’s refusal to hold a referendum on Europe. Harriet Yeo, a former chairman of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, quit in order to campaign for Nigel Farage’s party. Her departure is a major embarrassment for Labour, which has started a belated fightback against Ukip in recent months. Scroll down for video Snookered! Ed Miliband pulls a series of faces after challenging children in Lincoln to a game of pool Mrs Yeo served as chairman of the NEC, which runs the party, until 2013, and was leader of the Labour group on Ashford Borough Council in Kent. She is the most senior Labour figure to publicly back Ukip.
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Harriet Yeo is former chairman of Labour's National Executive Committee
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She quit party in protest at Miliband's refusal to hold Europe referendum
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Senior Labour figure will now campaign for Nigel Farage's party in election
Labour sources claimed Mrs Yeo had lost her role in @placeholder for non-attendance at meetings.