Alastair Campbell booted out of Labour Party after voting for Lib Dems in European elections

Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell has been expelled from the Labour Party after voting for the Liberal Democrats at the European elections.

Mr Campbell, a leading campaigner for a second referendum on Brexit, said he was "sad and disappointed" by the decision.

He said on Twitter: "Sad and disappointed to receive email expelling me from @uklabour - particularly on a day leadership finally seems to be moving to the right place on Brexit, not least thanks to tactical voting by party members, including MPs, councillors and peers who back @peoplesvote-uk."

Mr Campbell added: "I am and always will be Labour. I voted Lib Dem, without advance publicity, to try to persuade Labour to do right thing for country/party. In light of appeal, I won't be doing media on this. But hard not to point out difference in the way anti-Semitism cases have been handled."

Mr Campbell insisted there was "plenty of precedent" of members voting for other parties or causes and pointed out Jeremy Corbyn's own rebellious past in Westminster votes during Mr Blair's premiership.

And he said there was a difference in the swift way his situation had been dealt with compared to "the way anti-Semitism cases have been handled".

A Labour Party spokesman said "support for another political party or candidate is incompatible with Party membership".