Labour party members urged to celebrate Ed Miliband's wedding with street parties

Labour party members have been urged to celebrate the forthcoming wedding of Ed Miliband and Justine Thornton with street parties, trifles and bunting. An email, which was sent to various Labour councillors, asks party members to mark in their diaries May 27th as a "red letter day", which should be enthusiastically celebrated. The email sent from Flora Lopi, a Labour Party official, who is understood to be one of Mr Miliband's closest advisers, said:

"As you will now all be aware, Britain will be celebrating an event even more important than the Royal wedding in London on April 29, namely, the civil ceremony uniting Ed and Justine, on May 27. Labour members, let's make this a red letter day, when we can show to the world that we are truly the party of unity, family and fun. In the face of swingeing Con-Dem cuts, I would like all Labour councillors, PCCs and party members to organise a street party. I have enclosed a ten-point plan to ensure this event runs as smoothly as possible, including ideas for catering and merchandising opportunities to help raise funds for the Party."



One senior shadow cabinet member expressed her astonishment at the "sycophantic tone" of the memo, but said they had no choice but to start stocking up on bunting and learning the lyrics to The Red Flag. A list of authorised tea towel manufacturers (made from cotton woven in Mr Miliband's Doncaster constituency) is included in the email along with a suggestion that organisers put together a "Mili band", complete with a "squeeze box, to play a lament for the squeezed middle-classes". Tesco said it has already commissioned Ed and Justine bunting, and that it was considering stocking a range of mugs, plates and soap-on-a-ropes to cash in on the event.

Asda, too, has held talks with the Labour Party about manufacturing "Mini Mili Trifles" – an attempt to outdo Waitrose's Royal Trifle, which has been created by Heston Blumenthal, the celebrity chef. The Asda trifle is expected to contain bananas, a nod to the Miliband family's favourite fruit. A spokesman for Mr Miliband refused to comment on the street party email, but added: "Actually, Ed isn't that partial to trifle, though he is very fond of a gooseberry fool."