Labour MP’s values a right-wing horror show

Too right-wing for the Tories? Join Labour.

That was the message sent by Sir Keir Starmer last week when one of the most staunch Tory MPs took a seat behind the Labour leader in the House of Commons, before gleefully shaking his hand.

It was a handshake that sealed Starmer’s fate as a Labour leader with no principles, a man without values.

Now, the right-winger who has been welcomed into the heart of Labour is someone most people in Scotland won’t care much about. And why should they, her name is Natalie Elphicke and she represents Dover. But her values matter.

A Boris Johnson fanatic who actively campaigned for Liz Truss to be PM. Yikes. She doesn’t believe the Rwanda plan to be harsh enough, forcefully campaigned against workers’ rights and voted for cuts to public services at every turn.

She has also been banned from Parliament for trying to influence a judge who was presiding over her husband’s sexual assault trial.

Once he was jailed, Elphicke, right, argued he was a victim

of being “charming, wealthy, charismatic and successful – attractive, and attracted to, women.” To be blunt, her values are an absolute horror show.

Shortly after she crossed the floor, Labour’s press team reportedly failed to confirm it would refuse Nigel Farage a party membership and a senior figure was on TV saying they’d take Jacob Rees-Mogg if he fancied it.

Meantime, as we all watched wondering how any of this represents the change away from the Tories the public so badly want, change of a more positive note was happening in Scotland – John Swinney was being sworn in as First Minister.

With close to three decades of elected service and having won every election he has ever contested, John’s values have never been in question. He is a serious man for these serious times. Using the limited powers at Holyrood’s disposal, John has outlined his vision to end child poverty, grow the economy, create jobs and help with the cost-of-living crisis. With Kate Forbes and Mairi McAllan alongside him, he has his top team on the park. Don’t get me wrong, we know this isn’t going to be a walk in the park. Our party has a lot of work to do to recover the full trust of those who may be wavering over where their vote belongs right now. Any SNP politician who argues otherwise hasn’t been paying attention. But the reality is that the SNP are always being written off, especially at Westminster elections. And when we are written off we are at our best. Because nobody else can, or will, do what we do. And that is to be utterly unashamed about standing up for Scotland and arguing our country is capable of delivering the change we all want to see. Our own house is back in order, and we can get back to the business of focusing on the public and their priorities. I told the PM last week that our opponents should be careful what they wish for. I did so because I know the values that drive Swinney. Such things matter to the public, as others will soon find out.