Natalie Elphicke: the Tory defector facing a backlash from both sides
MP for Dover's hawkish stance on immigration and defence of sex offender ex-husband raises eyebrows among her new colleagues
![Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer greets Natalie Elphicke, MP for Dover, after her defection from the Conservative Party, in the House of Commons](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yJJ5ds2xAJBowjNW4SY8FY-415-80.jpg)
Former Tory MP Natalie Elphicke's surprise defection to Labour yesterday is "causing a stir on both sides of the House" in Westminster today, said Sky News.
Keir Starmer extended a warm welcome to the MP for Dover after she crossed the floor, criticising the "broken promises of Rishi Sunak's tired and chaotic government". Starmer said he was "delighted" with her defection, two weeks after that of fellow ex-Tory Dan Poulter, telling reporters it showed Labour was "the party of the national interest".
Less delighted were some of her former colleagues, said the BBC, with Transport Minister Huw Merriman "branding her 'shameless' and an 'opportunist'". The addition of right-winger Elphicke to their ranks has also "left some Labour MPs feeling upset, let down, and shocked".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Elphicke attracted criticism in 2020 for her defence of then-husband Charlie, after he was convicted of sexually assaulting two women while serving as a Tory MP for Dover, the constituency his ex-wife now represents. Speaking after the guilty verdict, she dismissed the allegations as "complete nonsense" and suggested her husband had been targeted because he was "attractive, and attracted, to women".
One Labour MP who spoke anonymously to Politico said she had cried when she heard that Elphicke had been welcomed into the party. "I thought we had some values that were sacrosanct but we don't," she told the website.
The party is "a very broad church", said former Labour leader Lord Kinnock, but "there are limits" and the membership must be "choosy to a degree" about who it accepts.
"Siri, show me a hollow victory," said columnist Owen Jones in The Guardian. Elphicke is a "hard-right" Tory who "cut her teeth scaremongering about refugees and migrants", and her defection merely "sums up Labour's contempt for progressive voters".
Despite the criticism, Starmer will "hope to keep the focus on the big picture", said the BBC. His argument will be that Tory defections can "personify his wider project" of "tempting former Conservative voters to switch to Labour".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.
-
Why is China stockpiling resources?
The Explainer The superpower has been amassing huge reserves of commodities at great cost despite its economic downturn
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Paraguay's dangerous dalliance with cryptocurrency
Under The Radar Overheating Paraguayans are pushing back over power outages caused by illegal miners
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week contest: Tattoo prediction
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Hamas and Fatah sign unity agreement in Beijing
Speed Read China brokered a reconciliation deal between the rival Palestinian factions
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Bob Menendez to resign after corruption conviction
Speed Read The New Jersey senator submitted to resignation pressure following charges of federal bribery and corruption
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Harris clinches Democratic support, raises $81M
Speed Read President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed her as his replacement
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
For God and country: is religion in politics making a comeback?
Talking Point There are many MPs of faith in the new Labour government despite it being the most openly secular House of Commons in history
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel intercepts Houthi rocket after Yemen strike
Speed Read Just hours after its deadly strike on Houthi rebels, Israel said it shot down a Yemen missile
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
DHS opens review of Trump assassination attempt
Speed Read An independent panel will investigate the Secret Service's handling of the shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden ends reelection bid, endorses Harris
Speed Read The sitting president gave his VP full support to replace him atop the Democratic ticket
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Houthis claim drone attack on Tel Aviv
Speed Read The attack on the Israeli city killed one person and injured at least 10
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published