Tory MP Natalie Elphicke has defected to Labour, hitting out at the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic Government”.
The Dover MP crossed the floor in the Commons just moments before Prime Minister’s Questions.
She said in a statement: “I have carefully considered this decision. The change has been dramatic and cannot be ignored.
“For me key deciding factors have been housing and the safety and security of our borders.”
In a humiliating blow for Rishi, Ms Elphickle has joined Dr Dan Poulter and Christian Wakeford in crossing to the Labour side.
In the first face-to-face since last week’s local election results, Sir Keir Starmer hit out at the Conservatives for losing nearly 500 council seats in last week’s elections.
The heated exchange saw the Labour leader call the PM a “dodgy salesman” as he pushed him on small boat crossings.
Kate Osamor gets Labour whip back
The MP for Edmonton was suspended after posting a message on Holocaust Memorial Day referring to other genocides.
After a huge wave of criticism, she tweeted an apology “for any offense caused” by her references.
The Labour party has now readmitted Osamor with the condition she engages with the local Jewish community.
A spokesperson said: “Kate Osamor’s original actions and non-apology were disgraceful and smeared the memory of all those who died in the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Darfur, Rwanda and Bosnia, as commemorated by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. It is right that, as we understand, she has received a formal written warning from the Labour Party.
“The onus is now on her to engage with her local Jewish community in Enfield and the wider community, properly. Given her previous record and comments in this area, this will require a sincere and honest approach. Until and unless this happens, the jury is still out.”
Tory minister sorry for e-gate airport chaos
MP Tom Pursglove has apologised to passengers for Tuesday’s glitch that saw long queues and delays across UK airports.
He said the incident was caused by “technical issues within the Home Office network” after a cyber attack was ruled out.
Mr Pursglove said: “The relevant teams quickly swung into action, and a technical response was underway within six minutes. Once the fault was identified, officials worked closely with partners to rectify the problem and restore service.
“At this stage, I can assure the House and the wider public that all security checks were maintained throughout. Border security was not compromised at any point and there is no indication of malicious cyber activity. Police access to operational systems was unaffected.
“I sincerely apologise for the disruption that occurred. I can assure the House that the Home Secretary and I will be unswerving in our determination to ensure that every possible lesson is learned, to ensure that this does not happen again.”
Labour ‘safe heaven’ for Tories
National Executive Committee member for Labour Mish Rahman has slammed the party for accepting Natalie Elphicke.
He questioned the former Tory member’s stand on Rwanda and said it is a “new low” for Starmer.
Labour backlash over Natalie Elphicke’s defection
Natalie Elphicke has caused a stir after crossing the floor to take a seat alongside Keir Starmer during today’s fiery PMQs.
But not everyone has welcomed the former Conservative MP for Dover and Deal with open arms.
Frustrated Labour supporters took to social media to vent out their disappointment.
Audio of Reeves saying Elphicke can ‘f**k off’ resurfaces after defection
An audio clip of Rachel Reeves appearing to say Natalie Elphicke can “f**k off” for criticising Marcus Rashford after he missed a penalty for England has resurfaced after the Dover MP defected to Labour.
Ms Elphicke had criticised England footballer and social campaigner Marcus Rashford in 2020 after his crucial penalty miss at the Euro 2020 final, messaging colleagues: “They lost – would it be ungenerous to say Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics.”
In the audio clip, Ms Reeves can be heard paraphrasing Ms Elphicke’s comments before saying she could “f**k off”.
Watch: Sunak tells Starmer he can be ‘as cocky as he likes’ after Tory election defeats
Sunak tells Starmer he can be ‘as cocky as he likes’ after Tory election defeats
Rishi Sunak warned Sir Keir Starmer he can be “as cocky as he likes” after the local election results, but when it comes to a general election “it is policy that counts”. Mr Sunak reminded the Labour leader of Tony Blair’s famous words during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 8 May, after Sir Keir began the clash by welcoming Natalie Elphicke and Chris Webb to the Labour benches. Ms Elphicke has defected to Labour, hitting out at the “broken promises” of the government, while Mr Webb is the new Blackpool South MP after winning last week’s by-election. Despite a mauling from the electorate last week, Mr Sunak remained defiant during his clash with Sir Keir.
Home Office to boot out Russian diplomat
The move is part of a major package of measures following the “reckless and dangerous activities of the Russian government across Europe”, he said.
These include:
- Expelling Russian defense attache and undeclared military intelligence officers.
- Removing diplomatic premises status from Russian properties.
- Imposing tougher restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas.
Rosie Duffield: At least one woman from Kent got a meeting
Rosie Duffield has lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer for refusing to meet her, despite meeting defected Tory MP Natalie Elphicke at least twice, Archie Micthell reports.
The Labour leader has not spoken to Ms Duffield, who has suggested he has refused to meet her repeatedly.
But he has twice met with Ms Elphicke, a right-wing Conservative who has now joined the Labour ranks.
After the shock defection, Ms Duffield said: “Well, at least one woman from Kent got a meeting.”
She also joked that she was now no longer the only Labour MP in Kent.
Watch: Moment Tory MP Natalie Elphicke walks across Commons floor to join Labour minutes before PMQs
Moment Tory MP Natalie Elphicke walks across Commons floor to join Labour
This is the moment Tory MP Natalie Elphicke walks across the Commons floor to join the Labour party, just minutes before Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday 8 May. The Dover MP crossed the floor in the Commons as she hit out at the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic Government”. She said: “I have carefully considered this decision. The change has been dramatic and cannot be ignored.” At PMQs, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked Mr Sunak “what is the point of this failed Government staggering on” when “the Tory MP for Dover on the front line of small boats crisis says the Prime Minister cannot be trusted with our borders and joins Labour?”
Even Labour MPs know you can’t trust Labour to stop the boats – Tory HQ
Conservative Party campaign headquarters has hit back at Natalie Elphicke’s defection to Labour, saying even Labour MPs know the party can’t be trusted to stop the boats.
The party tweeted an old article Ms Elphicke wrote for the Daily Express, in which she argued that Labour couldn’t be trusted to stop the boats.
