Keir Starmer faces fury on the left for accepting Natalie Elphicke’s defection | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer is going through main backlash from the Labour Party after welcoming right-wing Tory MP into his get together with open arms.

Sir Keir secured a serious political coup shortly earlier than PMQs at the moment when Labour introduced a second Tory MP defection in two weeks, with Dover MP Natalie Elphicke crossing the ground.

However Ms Elphicke has all the time been on the laborious proper of the get together, particularly on problems with immigration, and former rows and scandals have led many in Labour to blast Sir Keir for permitting her into the get together.

From slamming Labour on immigration to her controversial function defending her ex-MP husband throughout a sexual assault trial, Ms Elphicke’s litany of earlier anti-Labour statements supplies enormous ammunition for the Conservative Party.

This afternoon Labour’s spokesman stated her defection is “a sign of the progress that we’ve made that people recognise that on some of the key challenges facing the country, the Tories have failed”.

Below The Express takes a glance over a few of Labour’s latest MP’s most distinguished rows, scandals and controversies.

Immigration

Natalie Elphicke wrote a column for the Express stating that “at every opportunity so far, Labour have voted against the Stop the Boats Bill”.

She stated: “And this week the Labour front bench have laid a series of amendments that would make it more difficult to detain and remove illegal migrants.

“This shows, yet again, that not only have Labour got no plan of their own to tackle illegal immigration, they simply do not want to.”

She additionally described Keir Starmer as “Sir Softie” and stated Labour voting towards the boats invoice was defying the British individuals’s “desire to control our borders”.

Despite Labour’s spokesman saying his get together has modified since 2019, the Express can reveal that as lately as March this yr Ms Elphicke wrote a word to the Tory whips describing Labour’s opposition to Rwanda as “nonsense”.

She additionally claimed that beneath Labour’s proposals, terrorist suspects would have routes to remain within the UK.

Marcus Rashford

In 2021 Ms Elphicke sparked a row when she stated Marcus Rashford ought to have spent “more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics” after he missed a penalty.

She later made a grovelling climbdown, however not earlier than Labour MP Charlotte Nichols tweeted: “When Natalie Elphicke has fed as many hungry children as Marcus Rashford, or done as much to inspire the nation, then she can slag him off all she likes.”

Rachel Reeves advised Elphicke to “f*** off” over her feedback.

She stated: “The MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke – when Rashford missed a penalty her tweet was if he spent more time on football rather than trying to get free school meals for our kids maybe he’d be better? F*** off!”

This afternoon a member of Labour’s NEC stated it was an “absolute disgrace and a new low for Starmer”, asking if Labour is now a “safe haven for any defecting racist Tory MP who want to… join in with the abuse of black England players after missing a penalty?”

Charlie Elphicke

Natalie Elphicke defended her ex-MP husband Charlie after he was discovered responsible of sexually assaulting two ladies and jailed for 2 years. Ms Elphicke argued he had merely been “attractive, and attracted to, women” and that made him “an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations”. She claimed he had been the sufferer of a “terrible miscarriage of justice”.

She was additionally suspended from the Commons and advised to apologise in 2021 for being discovered to have tried to affect a choose presiding over Mr Elphicke’s trial.

Starmer misled Commons

In 2022 Ms Elphicke accused Keir Starmer of knowingly deceptive the House of Commons, a grave rule breach, when he claimed the PM has accused the BBC of “not being critical enough of Putin”.

She tweeted: “I was also at the meeting and didn’t hear anything of the kind from @BorisJohnson – Sir @DavidEvennettMP is absolutely right on this. In what he said @Keir_Starmer was wholly inaccurate and I believe he has misled the @HouseofCommons”.

Fire and rehire

Ms Elphicke was heckled by P&O protestors when she joined them to assist their calls for that the Ferry operator reverse its resolution to sack 800 seafarers.

She ended up being surrounded by professors who chanted “disgrace on you”, “you voted for fireplace and rehire”, and “you are on their aspect”.

Tax

Natalie Elphicke said Labour’s solution to tackle the cost of living was “grabbing more in taxes from the pockets of millions of hardworking British people”.

“Labour’s solution to tackle the cost of living? Grabbing more in taxes from the pockets of millions of hardworking British people. Same old Labour”

Coalition of chaos

Natalie Elphicke said all Labour offer is “Lib/Lab/SNP coalition of chaos that would take our country backwards on Brexit and break up the United Kingdom”.

She said: “At #PMQs at the moment a really muddled and confused efficiency by Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer. A robust reminder that every one the opposition supply is a Lib/Lab/SNP coalition of chaos that might take our nation backwards on Brexit and break up the United Kingdom.”

Bullying of Rosie Duffield

Natalie Elphicke stated it was “appalling” that Keir Starmer had “failed to address the bullying and intimidation” of Labour MP Rosie Duffield.

She advised the Commons: “Bullying and physical intimidation is wrong whoever it is done to and we should call it out. That is why it is appalling that the Labour leadership has failed to address the bullying and intimidation of the hon. Member for Canterbury.”

Car tax

Ms Elphicke criticised Labour’s “expensive car tax imposed on Kent residents”.

She stated: “Strong #PMQ from my East Kent neighbour @cmackinlay – he’s absolutely right on this. Labour London’s expensive car tax imposed on Kent residents travelling to work or specialist hospital appointments in our capital city.”