Natalie Elphicke: Who is the former Tory MP who defected to Labour?
Former MP Natalie Elphicke has denounced the Conservative Party led by Chancellor Rishi Sunak for failing to keep their pledges made during elections.
Within a span of two weeks, another Conservative MP, Natalie Elphicke, has decided to switch sides and join the Labour party.
The decision was unexpected and caught many off guard, even more so than Dan Poulter's switch. This is because the individual in question was perceived to have right-wing leanings within the Conservative Party.
During the 2022 Tory leadership race, she was a strong advocate for Liz Truss and spoke openly about her disapproval of Sir Keir Starmer's immigration policies.
The member of parliament for Dover does not support Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and holds him accountable for removing Boris Johnson, who was democratically elected as the prime minister. She referred to this as a "coup" in her statement announcing her switch of political allegiance to the Labour Party.
She shares that her choice to shift allegiance was primarily based on the condition of housing and the assurance of safeguarding our borders.
In 2019, Mrs Elphicke was chosen as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Dover. She took on the position after her former partner, Charlie, who had previously held the role, was imprisoned for two years in 2020 after being convicted of two counts of sexual assault against women.
She received the opportunity to run for office just a few days prior to her initial election in 2019. Previously, she had worked as a lawyer in the housing and finance industries.
After securing her position as the first woman Member of Parliament for Dover, she affiliated herself with the European Research Group (ERG) of MPs who support Brexit. She frequently voiced her disagreement with the Labour party's leniency towards immigration, distrustfulness regarding Brexit and their inability to manage the economy.
Mrs Elphicke represented the area in the UK which is home to the largest port. She expressed her views on making sure the borders were secure and put forward proposals for stricter immigration measures.
In an article for the Daily Express published in April of the previous year, she criticized the Labour party for advocating for unrestricted immigration and argued that their policy posed a threat, as it allowed potential terrorists to remain in the country.
However, she has suggested an agreement to send back migrants who arrive by small boats across the Channel to France instead of implementing the proposed Rwanda strategy, which is consistent with the stance of the Labour party.
She strongly opposed P&O's choice to reduce wages, but P&O employees shouted at her during a rally where she was showing support for 800 workers who were fired suddenly. They criticized the actions of her government.
Natalie Elphicke's Past Assaults On Labour: A Preview
Last year, she had a disagreement with soccer player Marcus Rashford, and he pressured the conservative political party to change their position on providing free school meals throughout the holiday period in a widely-known effort.
After England's failure in the Euro 2020 finals, the person expressed regret for their previous comment, which implied that the player should have focused more on improving their skills rather than engaging in political activities.
The lady holds the position of vice chair for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ports and has served as an assistant to the ministers for housing, defense, and health. In recognition of her contributions to the housing sector, she was conferred with an OBE during the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2015.
Mrs Elphicke was raised in Kent, attended the University of Kent at Canterbury, and worked as a lawyer for two decades.
During the trial and even after her former husband's conviction, she vigorously supported him and protected him from accusations.
Following his guilty verdict, she conducted an interview where she claimed that the accusations were not based on truth and that he had faced the consequences of being attractive, affluent, influential and prosperous. She also expressed her disapproval of the court's actions and claimed that the punishment was unwarranted, while also suggesting that the court had ulterior motives. She made these statements during a conversation with the BBC.
One of the high-ranking members of the Conservative Party, Mrs Elphicke, was found to have engaged in inappropriate conduct when attempting to influence the judge overseeing a trial. The standards committee within the House of Commons deemed this behavior to be extremely troublesome and concerning, as it has a negative impact on the integrity and fairness of the legal system.
