‘On my way to the Labour conference’ ... at 81mph
Gaffe-prone Thornberry posts picture of herself speeding
LABOUR frontbencher Emily Thornberry has been caught speeding at 81mph on a motorway – in a picture she posted on her Instagram account.
The Shadow Attorney General, whose husband is a High Court judge, uploaded the incriminating photo of her driving to the party conference in Liverpool last
Saturday. Ms Thornberry, 62, wrote next to the snap ‘On my way to Labour Conference’, adding that she was ‘choosing a Labour Students disco playlist’.
The picture was taken by a backseat passenger and shows the rear-view mirror, revealing that Ms Thornberry, in sunglasses and a brown coat, is driving the Toyota Prius in the middle lane.
She shared the snap with her 24,000 followers but failed to spot the digital speedometer displayed the figure 81. The speed limit on Britain’s motorways is 70mph.
Last night her spokesman said: ‘She is well aware that the speed limits are set where they are for a reason, and she apologises unreservedly for this fleeting and totally unwitting moment when she exceeded them on the drive to Liverpool.’
The gaffe comes eight years after another social-media blunder, when Ms Thornberry sparked outrage over a ‘sneering’ tweet about three St George’s flags hanging from a house during a by-election in Kent.
She posted a picture of the property, which had a white Ford Transit van outside, with the words: ‘Image from Rochester.’
The mother of three was sacked from the front bench by then leader Ed Miliband after the Twitter post was labelled unpatriotic.
Islington South and Finsbury MP Ms Thornberry was then forced to apologise in 2019 after comparing the
‘The M-way speed limit is 70mph for a good reason’
Liberal Democrats to the Taliban over their threat to cancel Brexit if they won power.
Drivers who speed at between 71mph and 90mph in a 70mph zone face having three penalty points slapped on their licence, according to Government guidelines.
Most police forces also impose a £100 fine. Drivers can be offered the option to go on a driving awareness course rather than accept the penalty points. Motorists who tot up 12 penalty points face a six-month ban.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents chief executive Errol Taylor said: ‘The speed limit on motorways is 70mph for a good reason.
‘At 80mph, the consequences will be a lot more serious if you crash. The 80mph stopping distance is 400ft, which is 85ft further than if you are going at 70mph.’
The motorway speed limit has been 70mph since 1965 but has long been argued over by motoring groups and safety campaigners.
In recent years, Ministers have mooted raising it to 80mph.
Prime Minister Liz Truss said last month she was open to the idea. Replying to a question during the final hustings debate for the Conservative leadership, she said: ‘On speed limits, we need to be prepared to look at that… I can’t give you a precise answer.’