Labour defends welcoming rightwing Tory MP Natalie Elphicke into party – UK politics live
Dover MP hit out at ‘broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic government’ as she defected to Labour moments before PMQs
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Your support makes all the difference.Ms Elphicke has defected hitting out at the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic Government”.
The Dover MP astonishingly 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.”
The move has been hit at from all sides, with MPs slamming Sir Keir Starmer for welcoming the right wing politician with open arms and Tory members branding the decision “idiotic”.
Despite ferocious criticism, Labour has defended Ms Elphicke and said it is “happy” to have the Tory MP on board.
In a new humiliating blow for Rishi, Ms Elphickle joins Dr Dan Poulter and Christian Wakeford in joining the opposition.
The walk-out was took place during the first face off since last week’s local election results, where Sir Keir Starmer hit out at the Conservatives for losing nearly 500 council seats in last week’s elections.
Tory right feels betrayed
Rightwing Tories made it clear they feel betrayed by Natalie Elphicke who was seen as one of their wing of the party.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns, a Boris Johnson supporter, Tweeted: “@NatalieElphicke you were a centre right Conservative, Labour want to give asylum to 50,000 plus people. I thought you had more conviction than to join the lefty labour lot you despised so much!”
Elphicke told voters not to trust Labour on immigration just a year ago
New Labour MP Natalie Elphicke wrote that Labour could not be trusted on immigration a little over a year ago.
Writing for the Daily Express, Elphicke said that the government’s ‘stop the boats’ bill was the only way to tackle illegal immigration.
She also accused the opposition of trying to “undermine” the government’s flagship immigration policy.
“The boats undermine our national security – because we have no ability to control who is arriving or prevent people who pose a threat to public safety,” she wrote.
“That’s why the government’s Stop the Boats Bill is so vital, and why Labour’s attempts to undermine it are so dangerous.”
In full: Sir Keir Starmer challenges Rishi Sunak to call a general election
The Labour leader said removing 1% of asylum seekers isn’t stopping the boats but granting a Tory amnesty.
He added: “But if he thinks the voters are wrong, if he thinks his own MPs joining the Labour Party are wrong, if he thinks anyone believes any of the nonsense that he spouts, why doesn’t he put it to the test and call a general election?”
Mr Sunak replied: “He talks about removing people. This is a person who campaigned … to stop the deportation of foreign national offenders. It shows how out of touch his values are with the British people.
“It is yet another week where we hear nothing about his plan to do anything on the issues that matter to the country.”
After listing the Government’s steps to tackle problems in the NHS and migration, he added: “He snipes from the sidelines, the Conservatives are building a brighter future.”
More posts on X from Natlie Elphicke are being shared by Tory MPs
Back in 2022 she warned of a "coalition of chaos" with Labour and the SNP, David Maddox reports.
She Tweeted: "At #PMQs today a very muddled and confused performance by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
“A strong reminder that all the opposition offer is a Lib/Lab/SNP coalition of chaos that would take our country backwards on Brexit and break up the United Kingdom."
‘Dodgy salesman'
In PMQs, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Rishi Sunak is a “dodgy salesman” as he pushed the prime minister on small boat crossings while Mr Sunak challenged Sir Keir to respond to comments made by newly re-elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Sir Keir told the Commons: “(He) has finally found something in common with the British public – no matter where he calls home all his neighbours are backing this changed Labour Party and they keep rejecting him because they have sussed him out.
“They know there’s nothing behind the boasts, the gimmicks, the smug smile. He’s a dodgy salesman, desperate to sell them a dud. 16 days ago, when he held a press conference claiming victory on Rwanda, he said the next few weeks will be about action. People want deeds, not words. So, let’s test that. How many small boat crossings have there been since he said that 16 days ago?”
Sunak said: “Just before we go into that, he talked about a changed Labour Party, he talks about it a lot, and he also talked about his new mayor in London.
“So, just this morning, we’ve learned that the Labour mayor in London believes – and I quote – that there is an equivalence between the brutal terrorist attack of Hamas and Israel defending itself. And, let me be crystal clear, there is absolutely no equivalence between a terrorist group and a democratic state.
“So can I ask (Sir Keir) now, will he take this opportunity to demonstrate that the Labour Party has changed, and will he condemn those comments from the Labour mayor?”
In full: SNP leader calls on UK to halt arms exports to Israel
SNP leader in Westminster Stephen Flynn has called on the government to halt arms exports to Israel.
He said in PMQs: “As we await the imminent Israeli incursion into Rafah, where 1.2 million people are sheltering, including 600,000 children, it has been reported that the United States has paused an arms shipment to Israel. The UK will now follow suit, won’t it?
Sunak responded: “The UK government doesn’t, itself, directly provide or ship arms to Israel.
“When it comes to the situation in Rafah, I’ve been very clear that we are deeply concerned about a full military incursion in Rafah, given the devastating humanitarian impact. I’ve made that position and point specifically to prime minister Netanyahu whenever we’ve spoken and will continue to urge all sides to focus on the negotiations at hand to bring about a pause in the conflict to release hostages and get more aid in.”
Mr Flynn said: “We all know that UK arms and tech is supporting Israel’s activities in Gaza and will be used in any attack on Rafah. Knowing that, and the devastation that is going to occur, surely the time has come to end our complicity and end our arms sales to Israel?”
Mr Sunak responded: “We periodically review advice on Israel’s commitment to international humanitarian law and ministers always act in accordance with that advice. Our position with regard to export licences following the most recent assessment is unchanged.
Tory MP claims BBC and Channel 4 ‘masquerade’ as impartial
Conservative MP Sir Philip Davies (Shipley) has accused the BBC and Channel 4 of “masquerading” as impartial.
He told the Commons: “Is the prime minister as appalled as I am at reports of militant civil servant, trade union, political activists, seeking to find ways not to implement the Rwanda deportations?
“Does he agree with me that if they are not prepared to implement the will of the government – an act of parliament that was passed by both Houses of Parliament – that they should conclude that perhaps being in the civil service is perhaps not for them?
“And maybe they can look for alternative employment at other left-wing organisations that masquerade as being impartial? Maybe they could try the BBC or Channel 4 news?”
Sunak replied: “My expectation is that civil servants will continue to be committed to supporting our priority of stopping the boats, and deliver in accordance with the civil service code.”
He added: “We are the only party that has a plan to stop the boats and we will face down all the obstacles in our way to deliver on this crucial priority for the British people.”
Watch: Starmer welcomes Natalie Elphicke after Labour MP deflects from Conservatives
Elphicke won’t stand down until the general election
Natalie Elphicke will not stand down as a Tory MP until the general election.
Labour has said it plans to stand its current candidate Mike Tapp, the FT’s Jim Pickard reports.
Elphicke defected to Labour just before PMQs.
Watch: Women terminating pregnancies because they cannot afford to feed children, MP claims
Women terminating pregnancies because they cannot afford to feed children, MP claims
Women are terminating pregnancies because of the cost of living crisis in the North East, an MP has warned. Emma Lewell-Buck, Labour MP for South Shields, told Rishi Sunak how mothers in her constituency have terminated wanted pregnancies “because they could not afford another mouth to feed”. Addressing Mr Sunak at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (8 May), she said: “Recent figures also show infant and child death rates have increased in the most deprived areas and 50 children have died alone in unregulated accomodation. Is this his plan for a brighter Britain in action?” The prime minister said he would make sure Ms Lewell-Buck is aware of all the help available for people in her constituency.