LONDON, May 28 — Britain’s opposition Labour Party has expelled former prime minister Tony Blair’s head of communications Alastair Campbell after he voted for the pro-EU Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament elections, Campbell said on Twitter.

Campbell supports a so-called ‘People’s Vote’ on Brexit, and said he had voted Liberal Democrat to try and persuade his party to back holding another referendum.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has so far said the option of a second referendum should be kept on the table, is under pressure to endorse one without qualification. The prospect poses a dilemma as many of the party’s supporters backed Brexit.

After being punished by voters in the European elections, which saw both pro-Brexit and pro-EU parties surge at the expense of Labour and the governing Conservatives, Labour said a public vote was the way to reunite the country, but said this could also be a national election.

"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,” Campbell said on Twitter, adding that he would be appealing against the expulsion.

"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.”

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

Veteran socialist Corbyn has shifted Labour, which under Blair won three elections by moving to the centre, firmly to the left since he became leader in 2015. — Reuters