The Times columnist Caitlin Moran has tweeted that anyone who did not vote Labour was a “c**t” (Press Gazette’s asterisks).

Moran’s full tweet read: “Obviously there’s a more nuanced take on this, but, broadly, voting for Labour = not being a c**t.”

Fellow commentators have been quick to jump on her statement. The Daily Telegraph leader writer Tim Stanley replied: “Attitudes like that are one of many, many reasons why I can no longer support Labour.”

Julia Hartley-Brewer, a presenter at Talkradio said: “This is extraordinary. My friends, family, neighbours & colleagues all vote for different parties. I have respect for all of their choices. She’s basically calling two thirds of the country “c*nts”.

The Scotland editor of the Spectator Alex Massie tweeted: “Happy Tribalism Day, everyone.”

The Times endorsed the Conservative Party in a leader column this morning.

It said: “The Conservatives have fought a poor campaign. Their manifesto includes policies lifted wholesale from Ed Miliband’s Labour platform of 2015, and a headline strategy on social care that was brave in principle but botched in practice.

“Mrs May has been pitched to voters as her party’s strongest asset but she has proved wooden when she needed to show charisma. She has been inflexible when she needed to think on her feet and evasive when she needed to be honest.

“That she is nonetheless by far the best prospective prime minister on offer speaks volumes about the choice voters must make tomorrow.”

UPDATE 15:00 – Caitlin Moran has since removed the post from her Twitter profile.