Natalie Elphicke defection: Labour chair Anneliese Dodds hits back at outcry from her own MPs

Natalie Elphicke defects to Labour party

Labour on Thursday defended itself from a backlash after the defection of Tory right-winger Natalie Elphicke provoked a storm of protest from among its own MPs.

Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds noted that Ms Elphicke had apologised for a string of contentious remarks including an attack on footballer and free school meals campaigner Marcus Rashford.

Asked why the party had accepted the Dover MP’s apologies but not those of Diane Abbott for appearing to diminish racism against Jewish people, she said an independent investigation was still ongoing into the veteran left-winger after more than a year and would not interfere in it.

“The key thing here is that Natalie Elphicke, just as with [fellow defectors] Christian Wakeford and Dan Poulter, she has realised that in order to put her constituents and the country first, she cannot continue backing a party that is one that is as divided, as incompetent in her words,” Ms Dodds said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

She said that Ms Elphicke had concluded that the Conservatives “can’t deliver on issues like migration, security, housing, in particular, that are absolutely critical for her constituents”.

Speaking later on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the Labour frontbencher “absolutely” ruled out any deal to confer a peerage on Ms Dodds in return for her defection, but did not deny reports that Labour’s chief whip had warned against accepting her into the party. She did rule out ever admitting Nigel Farage into Labour.

Ms Dodds is also Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, and was pressed about the anger expressed by several Labour MPs at the defector’s defence of her ex-husband Charlie Elphicke before and after he was convicted of sexual assault.

Jess Phillips, the former shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, said the former Tory should “account for her actions”, telling ITV’s Peston: “I’m all for forgiveness but I do think that that needs some explaining.”

Ms Elphicke supported her then husband’s unsuccessful appeal, describing the verdict as “a terrible miscarriage of justice”. She said he had been “attractive, and attracted to women” and “an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations”.

She was suspended for a day from the Commons alongside two other MPs after trying to influence a judge who was deciding whether to release character references they had written for Mr Elphicke.

Ms Dodds told Today: “There is no place for sexual assault or sexual harassment of any kind and therefore, those processes must be held to, and I think it’s quite right that they were applied to Natalie Elphicke.”

Asked about the contrast between the welcome extended to the Tory defector and the drawn-out handling of Ms Abbott, the Labour chairwoman added: “I have enormous respect for Diane Abbott. And she was an absolute trailblazer.”

“But as I said before, we have got a process that is an independent one that does operate without fear or favour, that is quite right. And it’s not one that’s subject to political influence, nor indeed should it be.”

One Labour MP said on condition of anonymity about Ms Elphicke: “I think it’s utterly disgraceful. She’s totally right-wing and supported her husband when he sexually assaulted women.

“There are Labour MPs still suspended and we’re welcoming MPs who have voted to push people into poverty. I despair.”

Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock said on BBC Radio 4’s Week in Westminster: “I think we have got to be choosy to a degree about who we allow to join our party because it’s a very broad church, but churches have walls and there are limits.

“Mrs Elphicke has got to decide whether she is committed to the programme and principles of the Labour Party, broadly defined, generously defined with great liberal intentions, but we are a political party and not a debating club.”

For the Conservatives, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said on Times Radio that the defection was “baffling” after Ms Elphicke had backed Liz Truss for Tory leader.

“I just can’t see a good fit at all. But I guess her views and Keir Starmer’s views change as often as their principles and policies,” Ms Keegan said.

But a Labour source told the Standard: “In the last week, in addition to two former Conservative MPs joining us, we’ve seen great local elections results with voters switching to us in record numbers.

“To all those looking at today’s changed Labour Party and who want to be part of renewing our country, you’re very welcome.”

To receive the best stories in your inbox every day, click here to register for one or more newsletters from The Standard.