A LABOUR party member who grew up in Petersfield has been expelled for showing her support for an opposition candidate.

Kate Townsend went to Sheet Primary School and The Petersfield School, before moving to Surrey, where she became secretary of the South West Surrey branch of the Labour Party.

Shortly after a general election was announced for June 8, she and Labour party colleagues Steve Williams, and Robert Park announced their support for Louise Irvine from the National Health Action party.

At the moment Conservative Health Minister Jeremy Hunt is their MP, but the Labour trio felt that Dr Irvine was better placed than the Labour candidate David Black to take the seat from the Tory minister.

They said by backing Dr Irvine there was more chance of defeating the minister in the traditionally Conservative constituency.

Once it became clear what was happening, they were expelled from the Labour party by it’s Executive Committee.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Kate said: "We (Labour) never win - we’ve never got any hope of winning - so we might as well fight to make it so that next time we vote, my vote actually matters."