Big mistake for Labour?

[ravenrover]

Natalie Elphicke defects to Labour.
Should Starmer have told her that Reform would be.more appropriate?

[Bristol Red Rover]

I think Starmer sees Labour as appropriate for anyone. Netanyahu even.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Looking at the promo pics though, what exactly are the national social implications of Labour having taken over British Airways in some 30 odd year time warp?

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Such a weird thing to happen when you read up on her past.  She's hardly a leftie is she?

I wonder if the nasty party is back now?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/08/conservative-mp-natalie-elphicke-defects-to-labour-party

[MachoMadness]

Embarrassing that she's allowed into the party. Even ignoring her shocking politics, her involvement in the attempts to cover up for her sex offender husband should be an instant disqualifier from front line politics of any kind.

[albie]

Here she is on Rwanda:
https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1788167522690220032/pu/vid/avc1/720x720/D8xV5RaF__lk6A8M.mp4?tag=12

Anti trade union, and thinks Suella was too woke as Home Secretary.
Jesus wept!

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Apparently she's the first labour member of the ERG 

Starmer is taking a big risk with this, she's the part of the tory party that tory voters are largely turned away from.  Yesterday a former tory minister introduced the shadow chancellor and defections willingly accepted.  Crazy times.

Boris for next labour leader?  How can these defectees align with the views of the labour guys we see on this forum?  How do you go from vociferously slating them to being aligned with them?  Weird.

[normal rules]

She has moved from one bum cheek of the arse that is current uk politics to the other.
Her motivation will be purely selfish.
Labour peerage perhaps to come ? Or a plumb job somewhere. Time will tell.
#allthesame.

[danumdon]

Sorry, i just don't recognise where this Labour Party version comes from. What next, Dianne Abbott and Jezza flying in for Reform?

Is this what Labour means by "diversity and inclusivity"

What's more cynical, Labour excepting a "right wing Tory or the rat leaving the sinking ship?

Forgot to add, #allinittogether

[MachoMadness]

Another thing. She won't be standing for re-election as Labour already has a candidate for that seat. So she'd have to find another seat if she wants to continue to be an MP. Has she been offered a plum seat/advisor role, or did she just want to give Rishi the rods on her way out of politics?

[danumdon]

It just gets worse,

3:18PM
Labour declines to say if Farage would be welcome in party

Labour has declined to say whether Nigel Farage would be welcome in the Labour Party, writes Dominic Penna.

Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman was asked this afternoon whether the party would open its arms to the former Ukip leader following the defection of Natalie Elphicke, who was widely seen as being on the Right of the Conservative Party.

Sir Keir’s spokesman replied: “Of course we have conversations with all sorts of people who talk to us about wanting to come and support the party in various different ways.

“Those conversations happen every time before we move forward with any decision about anyone.”

[BillyStubbsTears]

This is a truly crazy thing for Labour to do. Lost marbles

[Filo]

Crackers, she’s been part of the problem and she’s stepping down at the GE

[Herbert Anchovy]

It’s an easy way to further humiliate the government. I can understand why they’ve allowed her in on that basis.

[tyke1962]

A broad church is the Labour Party cough cough !!!

Embarrassing .

[normal rules]

It’s an easy way to further humiliate the government. I can understand why they’ve allowed her in on that basis.

Humiliate and win at all costs? And there was me led to believe the Labour Party were “well principled”.

[wilts rover]

Proper Thatcherite. Weird move.

[selby]

He is wanting to bring them in from all over the world, why not one from Dover? Old diamond face back stabber any port in a storm.

[BillyStubbsTears]

https://twitter.com/gsoh31/status/1788177635127812565

[wilts rover]

Nuff said:

https://twitter.com/CountBinface/status/1788171554104250494

[Sprotyrover]

Hmm typical views on immigration as a large portion of Labour voters….slightly to the right of Ghengis Khan
Cough cough!

[scawsby steve]

Electoral choices for 2024.

Biden, Trump, Sunak, Starmer.

Wow.

[SydneyRover]

It is perplexing, but then if labour win the election and she resigns from parliament will it all be forgiven?

I didn't call McCann a snake for leaving as I accept what is fact of life for coaches.

[danumdon]

It is perplexing, but then if labour win the election and she resigns from parliament will it all be forgiven?

I didn't call McCann a snake for leaving as I accept what is fact of life for coaches.

You get the impression that the PR is of greater value to Starmer. Did he need to stoop so low?

Im just wondering if he's also managed to wipe some of that shiny gloss of his manufactured profile.

Will not sit well with genuine Labour folk and give the electorate the impression that he's totally unprincipled. We all know Parliament is full of it but this is just blatant.

[SydneyRover]

If PR was worth more than a win he wouldn't have allowed her to join, no?

Although I'm still perplexed, it is a gamble even though you do see it in all other aspects of life and politics, as I noted above.

Journalists move across the spectrum, political staffers do the same. However I don't think you'll see Elphicke championing workers rights or backing strikers.

[Filo]

I have written to Ed Miliband to express my disgust in this action

[River Don]

There is another side to Elphicke.

Before she became an MP she was involved in setting up a housing association with an ambition of providing one million affordable homes. She has often spoke about the need for more affordable housing to buy and rent. she got her OBE for services to housing. She has even praised Nye Bevan in the house in respect to this subject.

Within Labour her only remitis to advise on housing.

She isn't going to stand as a Labour MP. or get a place in the lords.

Perhaps just wait and see how this one develops?

I guess she will remain an advisor to Labour on housing and return to working in that sector quite soon.

[Bentley Bullet]

Some might say she's "seen the light" by joining the Labour party, but maybe she's just joined them to show them it.

[River Don]

I think she has seen the light on Tory housing failure, that she has been critical of.

From the point of view of housing, her defection makes sense. She goes back to the task of providing affordable homes, whilst having an input on government housing strategy. Within a government whose aim is to build.

[IDM]

Quitting at the next GE, allegedly, as well as the other defector from the other week. (Poulter?)

Maybe Labour are looking to emphasise Tory problems now, but hoping these individuals will be forgotten when the GE comes around.?