Nathalie Elphick: Member of Parliament critical of Rwanda plan who won seat after husband's sexual assault allegations

Keir Starmer and Natalie Elphicke in the House of Commons Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA

The world first learned of Nathalie Elphicke's defection to Labor when she snuck into the House of Commons moments before the start of the premier's talks and sat down on the green benches directly behind Sir Keir Starmer.

It was both a low-key and yet explosive journey for the Dover MP, never alone to dodge from the spotlight and announce that she becomes the second Conservative Party member in two weeks to switch sides.

Minutes later, the Labor press office came to life, releasing a 498-word statement from the party's newcomer that laid out line of attack after line of attack on Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, and his reputation in Downing Street.

< p>Shock among Conservatives was evident as Sir Keir relished the moment, noting that the Prime Minister had «lost two Tory MPs in two weeks» following the defection of Dr Dan Poulter on Sunday 28 April.

Ms Elphicke's decision will be a huge blow to Number 10, not least because for all the Tories who might be tempted by the Labor Party, she was the most unlikely candidate.

Generally considered a right-wing member of the Conservatives, she was a Boris Johnson supporter who made her disdain for Mr Sunak clear in her farewell speech. . .

She said he had «ousted» the former prime minister in a «coup», adding that under him «the Conservatives have become synonymous with incompetence and division».

But that is her attack on his reputation, and especially hers support for Labour's approach to tackling illegal migration, which has particularly wounded Mr Sunak.

The MP for Dover was first elected in Boris Johnson's landslide election victory in 2019, taking the seat previously held by belonged to her then-husband Charlie Elphick.

A month earlier, he had stood down as the Conservative candidate after he was charged with sexually assaulting two women in incidents nearly a decade apart.

Ms Elphicke was quickly named as his successor during the an uncontroversial selection process that caused some consternation among local members.

In her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 20 January 2020, she praised her then-husband for his willingness to «engage in hand-to-hand political combat» as an MP.

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In July 2020, Mr Elphick was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, and a month later Ms Elphick announced in a newspaper interview that they were getting a divorce.

Charlie Elphick was convicted of three counts of sexual assault. Photo: JULIAN SIMMONDS

She quickly rose to prominence in the House of Commons and became known for her outspoken interventions on issues of illegal migration and Brexit border checks.

She has become increasingly vocal in her criticism of the government on both counts in recent weeks, paving the way for her shock defection to the Labor Party.

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A long-time critic of the Rwanda plan, which she claims will not work, she advocates for the government to negotiate a return deal with France instead.

In a speech to the House of Commons last December, she said: “We must turn again to diplomacy and reach a cross-channel agreement to return people to France rather than to Rwanda.”

Her position meant that she will always be more likely to support Sir Keir's approach. , who said he would seek to negotiate a new return deal with the EU.

However, she has previously been sharply critical of his approach, writing in a July 2023 column that while the Tories tried to stop the boats, » Labor politicians are against, against, against.»

Criticism of post-Brexit border checks

In recent months, she has also criticized the government's approach to introducing new post-Brexit border checks that will affect the port of Dover.

Last month she accused Sir Mark Spencer, the agriculture secretary, of in the “reduction” of funding for port facilities that carry out sanitary control of goods arriving from Europe.

Perhaps she has once again proved more. has been enticed by Labor Party proposals, which include a new food deal with the EU that would cut red tape on food imports.

Ms Elficke, a former housing lawyer, was also an outspoken critic, she said. that the Tories had failed to build enough new homes.

Having grown up in a council house, she campaigned for better social homes and was awarded an OBE for housing services in 2015.

How MP, she backed the government's plans, which were blocked by Labour, to scrap EU water pollution rules that are blocking 150,000 new homes.

Within an hour of her escape, her former Tory colleagues were posting quotes on social media, in whom she attacked Sir Keir and his policies.

And although she was welcomed onto the Labor benches to thunderous applause from MPs, Ms Elphicke may find she has landed on the party left. the base of the wing is more uneven.