Elphicke ‘lobbied justice secretary to interfere in husband’s intercourse offence trial’ | EUROtoday

For free actual time breaking information alerts despatched straight to your inbox signal as much as our breaking information emails

Sign as much as our free breaking information emails

Tory defector Natalie Elphicke has been accused of lobbying the justice secretary in 2020 to intervene in her then-husband’s prison intercourse offences trial.

Sir Robert Buckland has mentioned the MP, who has now crossed the ground to Labour, approached him when he was lord chancellor and justice secretary earlier than the listening to of Charlie Elphicke’s case.

She allegedly advised Sir Robert that it was unfair the case was the primary to be heard at Southwark Crown Court after the Covid lockdown and that it was being overseen by Lady Justice Whipple, The Sunday Times reported.

One particular person current seen her feedback as a bid to have the case moved to a lower-profile courtroom to spare her companion public scrutiny, whereas one other noticed it as an try to exchange the senior choose, in keeping with the newspaper.

Sir Robert rejected her plea, suggesting his intervention might undermine the constitutional doctrine of the separation of powers between Parliament and the judiciary.

The Tory MP advised The Sunday Times: “She was told in no uncertain terms that it would have been completely inappropriate to speak to the judge about the trial at all.” Questions have been raised in regards to the timing of Sir Robert’s determination to boost the matter, having waited till her defection to take action.

The damaging new claims got here as senior Tory sources claimed Ms Elphicke defected as a result of she was “bitter” about being denied a ministerial job. They advised The Observer the previous Tory MP made clear she needed to be a housing minister and the snub contributed to her determination to depart the occasion.

The timing of a number of vital tales of Ms Elphicke led to ideas the Conservatives have been making an attempt to discourage others from defecting. Tory MPs are panicking over who may very well be subsequent to cross the ground, and shadow well being secretary Wes Streeing advised The Independent he’s in talks with Conservatives additionally pondering of becoming a member of Labour.

Ms Elphicke’s former husband and predecessor as MP for Dover was later convicted of sexually assaulting two ladies and jailed for 2 years.

She ended the wedding after his conviction however supported his unsuccessful attraction, saying Mr Elphicke had been “attractive, and attracted to women” and “an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations”.

Ms Elphicke allegedly additionally tried to safe him higher jail situations, asking for extra snug pillows, The Sunday Times reported.

The new Labour MP denies the characterisation of the assembly with Sir Robert and that she requested for improved jail situations.

A spokesman for Ms Elphicke advised the newspaper: “This is nonsense. It’s certainly true that Mr Elphicke continued to be supported after his imprisonment by a large number of Conservative MPs who had known him for a long time, including some who visited him and independently lobbied on his behalf, which was nothing to do with Natalie.”

A Labour Party spokesman mentioned: “Natalie Elphicke totally rejects that characterisation of the meeting.

“If Robert Buckland had any genuine concerns about the meeting, then he should have raised them at the time, rather than making claims to the newspapers now Natalie has chosen to join the Labour Party.”

Following information of Ms Elphicke’s defection this week, Labour MPs raised issues in regards to the determination to confess her to the occasion, citing her feedback about Mr Elphicke’s case and his victims.

In a press release on Thursday, she mentioned she condemned “his behaviour towards other women and towards me”, including it was “right that he was prosecuted” and he or she was “sorry for the comments that I made about his victims”.

Announcing her determination to modify events, Ms Elphicke hit out at Mr Sunak’s “tired and chaotic government” and accused him of failing to ship on his promise to “stop the boats”, including that Labour would “bring a much better future for our country”.

Sir Keir Starmer confronted questions over the place he would draw the road with welcoming right-wing politicians into his occasion.

On a joint go to to Dover alongside his latest MP, the Labour chief mentioned politics ought to be “less tribal” and prompt he was open to “reasonably minded people” from different events becoming a member of Labour.

Ms Elphicke has been contacted for remark.