Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh has decided to support the Socialist Alliance instead of Labour, adding to a growing list of artists endorsing the new political group.

According to the Daily Express, Julie, who plays Haley in Coronation Street, told the Spiked website that she finds Tony Blair "pseudo-presidential, egomaniacal and quite flippin' scary".

The Express continued: "Her statement is a slap in the face for Tony Blair, who has described the long-running soap as 'one of my favourite TV programmes'. Indeed, Blair supported the fictitious 'Free Deirdre Barlow' campaign and has sought to recruit the Corrie cast for New Labour's election campaign.

"On the website, Julie Hesmondhalgh said: 'Politicians clamouring to be associated with Coronation Street. It's the common touch thing - let's make out we're just like ordinary folk because we watch Corrie, too. And it's also a nice distraction method: it's like, get everybody fired up about freeing Deirdre, then they'll all be more interested in what's going on in Weatherfield than what's going on in Westminster - or Iraq.'"

Other well known supporters of the Socialist Alliance include Mark Thomas, Mark Steel, Harold Pinter, John Pilger, Tariq Ali, Paul Foot, Linda Smith, Saffron Burrows, Ricky Tomlinson, and Ken Loach who has directed the SA election broadcast. Featuring ordinary people who are standing in the general election such as health and housing workers, train drivers and community activists, the broadcast goes out on Tuesday 22 May.