Tories plan to keep up the pressure over Elphicke
Senior Tories are planning to heap pressure on Sir Keir Starmer as they seek to capitalise on Labour unrest over the defection of the Dover MP Natalie Elphicke – and dissuade other Tory MPs from jumping ship.
Ms Elphicke faced allegations over the weekend that she lobbied the justice secretary to intervene in her then husband’s sex assault trial.
Labour and Tory MPs believe there will be more accusations as the Conservatives aim to make Ms Elphicke’s and Sir Keir Starmer’s lives more difficult in the coming weeks.
A Tory insider said that “Labour had not heard the last of their Natalie problems yet”, while another Conservative MP said there was “more to come” about the 53-year-old.
One senior source said the allegations were “a way to put Labour under pressure and to make Natalie’s life super uncomfortable”.
Labour MPs have been voicing their concerns with the party leadership about allowing Ms Elphicke into the party after it was alleged that she asked for Lord Chancellor Sir Robert Buckland to intervene in the case of her husband at the time Charlie Elphicke, who was later convicted for sexual assault.
Ms Elphicke has described the reports that she attempted to lobby Mr Buckland as “nonsense”.
The Labour MP, Rosie Duffield, told local BBC News South East that she believed Ms Elphicke should be suspended from Labour while a full investigation is carried out.
Ms Duffield said the claims should be “thoroughly investigated”, adding that Labour would be calling for the same if it were a Tory MP.
The Labour leadership has attempted to close ranks around the MP, accusing the Conservatives of “sitting on” the claims while she was a Tory MP.
The shadow schools minister Catherine McKinnell told the BBC: “I’m really baffled by this because this happened four years ago and he has sat on these concerns that he says are very serious to a newspaper, and has not done anything about it for four years.
“Obviously Natalie says they are not true, it’s not her recollection of the meeting and so, she says it’s nonsense.”
“I just can’t quite understand why, if something is this important and as serious as he is alleging, why it wasn’t addressed at the time.”
Ms Elphicke stunned Westminster when she quit the Tories to take up a seat for Labour, citing the Government’s failure to stem the small boat Channel crossings as part of her reasons.
Speculation is rife over the number and identities of potential Tory switchers following reports over the weekend that as many as three Conservatives were in talks with Labour about joining.
One backbench Tory MP on the right of the party, said: “I think it will be someone on the left of the party. The Elphicke thing was a one-off.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more go before the general election.”
Ms Elphicke has been approached for comment.