A LONG-TIME Labour campaigner who appeared in an official party broadcast has defected to the Green Party.

Anti-poverty campaigner and foodie Jack Monroe, 27, who lived in Southend until recently, also was a local campaigner for the party in the borough.

However, the one-time Echo journalist has given up on the party she has supported for 10 years, joining the Green Party instead.

She appeared in an official Labour party broadcast alongside Ed Miliband, but hinted her change of alligiance had not gone down well within the party.

Posting a membership letter of her new party on social media site Instagram, she captioned the picture: “It was kind of inevitable after the 'Labour gets tough on immigration' speeches, and been a long time coming.

“Hard decision in the end, but definitely feels like the right one. Still have a lot of love for the Labour Party, but just disagree with too much of it right now.”

Ms Monroe, who released a cook book of low budget receipes in 2013, said in an ideal world, she would like to see a Labour, Scottish National Party, and Green Party coalition rule the country.