Tory MP defection leaves some in Labour unhappy with Starmer

Another week, another Tory scalp for Keir Starmer. (Subscribe: bit.ly/C4_News...)
An MP crossing the floor is usually a cause for celebration by the accepting party but this time not everyone was laying out the welcome mat.
Several Labour members have expressed their concerns that their leadership has been less than discerning in admitting Natalie Elphicke, the MP for Dover, who has - until recently - been highly critical of Labour's border policy.
Labour said she would not stand in Dover at the next election or be given a peerage.
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[@stephenwalker2924]

She doesn't believe in anything - except her own career. Typical politician.

[@andydudley1775]

she be gone next election he has replacement that is labour

[@gregorybiestek3431]

She is standing down at the next GE, she will NOT be a MP. Even if she is an advisor later, she would be no different than any executive of a British corporation that will also advise Labour.

[@williamsteven429]

yup!...she thought she heard the gravy train leaving ,,,....without her !

[@abdullahk8691]

True

[@abdullahk8691]

​@@gregorybiestek3431I can be 99% certain she'll change her mind and stand! Watch this space.

[@voyloa]

This should be Illegal, if an MP wants to change Parties they should have to Resign immediately as an MP.

[@jasonkoch3182]

Just so you know, Churchill changed parties. Twice, actually. He defected to the Liberals from the Conservatives. And then he defected back to the Conservatives.

[@bmphillips15]

Should Churchill of resigned?

[@jameswalters3571]

UK elections are structured around policies and individual MPs, not parties. Media outlets, like Channel 4 News, push parties to the forefront because it enables the kind of tribalism that boosts viewership. By adopting the perspective that they push, you're confusing it with parliamentary reality. Obviously, there should be a higher bar for changing parties, like an automatic by-election, but to make MPs resign outright just for changing their minds or trying to act in the overriding national interest would jam the wheels of democracy

[@TheSuperPsychoKiller]

UK is a mess.

[@coppershark1973]

So Labour are the conservatives. Conservatives are UKIP. Reform are the BNP. I guess that’s the Green Party as Labour?

[@philman6864]

yes this makes sense

[@csharpe5787]

Brilliant analogy!

[@ScottishRoss27]

Political Musical Chairs, meanwhile the English are pulling out their own teeth with coathangers and drinking the shite in their waterways

[@uha6477]

Spot on!

[@mikelee7967]

The greens are pro NATO that means more American wars in the name of democracy.

[@chrysalis4126]

When Marcus Rashford was campaigning for feeding the poor kids she told him he should have practised football instead of politics.

[@richardlewis125]

She also told him Politics is like football. You've got to time your runs!

[@martindornan1667]

Red and blue Tories.

[@leroysimon5692]

👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾

[@bmphillips15]

She was right about rashford

[@jackspring7709]

That comes as no surprise to me at all. The scum always bubbles to the top in swamps.

[@MisterBurtonshaw]

She's trying to rehabilitate her reputation so she can get her nose deep in the trough once she's out of Parliament. Sickening, the pair of them.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

She is standing down at the next GE, she will NOT be a MP. Even if she is an advisor later, she would be no different than any executive of a British corporation that will also advise Labour.

[@IMBlakeley]

She's lined herself a job as a SPAD for the next Labour government, so big nose firmly in the trough.

[@jake751]

Starmer probably offered her a peerage for doing it.

[@TheSuperPsychoKiller]

@@gregorybiestek3431Never trust a Tory. Didn’t your parents tell you this? Stranger Danger.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

@@IMBlakeley At some point, we have to let people who were wrong but who now see the light to be forgiven (but not forget). If we cannot accept that people make mistakes but can try to learn & live a better life, we will never have any peace but endless conflict.

[@KeithRingo]

Rich person, switches loyalty from extremely rich man, to very rich man.

[@decoyfox]

I'm not sure I want to vote for a labour party that attracts Truss supporting right wingers

[@ScottishRoss27]

Why not? Labour abandoned its principles and moved to the right years ago.

[@csharpe5787]

We have to questions exactly what and Semitism is. Diane Abbott is not anti Semitic, she should be in the party. She served long and hard. She be respected and in the party. Shame on Starmers.

[@ChrispyNut]

@@csharpe5787 There are examples which are referred to, including criticism of Israel. Weirdly, those people are fine with criticising (and sanctioning) Iran, which would be Islamophobic, if consistency had any place in politics.

[@Boghopper9999]

They got a free hit of the Tory's and it didn't cost them anything. She's stepping down next election and just decided to stick the knife into Sunak before she goes

[@jgmediting7770]

@@ScottishRoss27years ago? their economic policies at the last 2 elections were nowhere close to right wing.

[@grahamkearnon6682]

Not a good look for Labour, poor decision!

[@ianHolmes-up2oc]

As someone who is a labour supporter I have to agree this looks dodgy

[@jake751]

​@@ianHolmes-up2ocit took you this long 😂😂😂

[@uha6477]

Rats abandoning a sinking ship...

[@csharpe5787]

Well she’s actually standing down. So this was for maximum effort. But she’s not wrong!

[@Christian988.]

IKR.

[@justinday5961]

Give it six months after the election watch them go back!😅

[@jackwatsonepic626]

People have voted her in to be conservative, not labour.🤔🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@ThisIsNotaUniversity]

and boarding another one

[@chunky6253]

Awkward? That was like the start of a low budget porn movie!

[@hanselmansell7555]

😂😂😂 underrated comment 🏆

[@notorio526]

"I hear your father was a toolmaker."

[@archvaldor]

How are the Starmer apologists going to maintain they are any different from the Tories when there are literal tories in the party?

[@CaminoAir]

I'm Irish. My own take on this (and I admit this is a simplification) is that Starmer is positioning the Labour Party to be 'unthreatening' and so lose as few votes as possible. Anything that presents Labour as having momentum is being encouraged. It's not about Labour being true to their roots, but that Labour are 'safe' enough for the majority of voters to opt for them.

[@Boghopper9999]

What percentage of the Labour MP's are former Tory MP's? About 1%? Just adding some perspective to the debate

[@mrstephenpariah]

​@@CaminoAirThat's the standard take. It's not really about electoral appeal, that's just how they justify the abomination.

[@antispindr8613]

Add them to the Newish Labour/Tory lite MPs and what do you get? For Whatever happened to the true Labour Party?

[@StratsRUs]

​@@CaminoAirI think it was 'Momentum' that he kicked out !

[@IAN-DIXON..]

She is hated here in Dover

[@pppp67567]

Yet people voted for her most... go figure

[@IAN-DIXON..]

@pppp67567 No they didn't, she took over her husbands seat when he went to prison. Nobody voted for her.

[@Redsleather]

@@IAN-DIXON..Eh? Dover has voted for a Conservative MP in every election since 2010. It is a very heavy Brexit supporting town too. I wonder how many P&O employees voted Tory and Brexit? 🤔

[@Angelcynn-x9m]

@@pppp67567 They voted tory not her

[@Shsjier]

​@@pppp67567most people voted tory in 2019. Do you think before you type?

[@thepub245]

Labour and Conservatives....the uni party.

[@mrstephenpariah]

That's the plan. It might even be a straight up coalition. Very dark times.

[@thepub245]

Yep, 2024 is becoming like 1984 and not in a good way.

[@jackspring7709]

Exactly.

[@davidslattery6750]

Starmers face was red as a beetroot during that cringy press conference. Perhaps the embarrassment and hypocrisy of accepting this right wing Tory into Labour was finding a non verbal way to express itself.🤔

[@peterparker1234]

Labour have abandoned the working class

[@jackspring7709]

They did that a long, long time ago. The 2 parties are nothing more than 2 gangs fighting a turf war now.

[@pippoplfc]

Starmer definitely has.

[@splitter7376]

They have to be marketable. Corbyn proved that going far left isn't.

[@jackspring7709]

@@splitter7376 "Marketable".

[@ehnowthen]

They were unhappy with him long before this incident...

[@thejigantics2641]

Funny she waited so long to defect

[@michaelkemp6857]

Took her a long time climbing out out of the Tory cesspit!!

[@ewoodrailway]

Tory blue, Tory red, Tory land. This country's had it

[@julianshepherd2038]

Unhappy ? Imagine Corbyn joined the Tories, how would they feel ?

[@Boghopper9999]

Well, he does have a lot of experience running losing campaigns so he would fit right in!

[@Kryssthealien]

Best comment. Hilarious but true...

[@antispindr8613]

Well aided by the rightwing nuts at Labour Party HQ?

[@tilley6351]

Corby a much better man than the whole bunch of rats

[@Redsleather]

I’d be relieved. Jezza could be cor-binned with the Conservatives once and for all

[@thephattones]

As if we needed any more more proof that labour is no different tories. These new ones will feel right at home.

[@daryllportas8453]

She is just trying to save her lucrative job. I've come to the conclusion that MPs don't believe in any particular party, they just go where they think they mighr get elected. Then go along with whatever that party does.

[@mikelee7967]

Red Tory, Blue Tory no difference.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

Better a centrist Tory Labour that a majority of people can vote for rather than a looney left Socialist Labour under Corbyn that 75% of people are afraid of.

[@katherine3486]

Liebour are all colours (prude flag mainly) ... mostly brown ... from putting their noses as far up EU and WEF holes as far as they can get them !

[@katherine3486]

Liebour are all colours ... mostly brown from shoving their noses as far up the holes of the global elites (Bliar mainly making billions) UN, EU, WEF, NWO etc... She won't call a byelection! !

[@GavinGas]

True. It's the samec.. ..unts pulling them strings

[@CarlBland-tn1jo]

All snakes but the uneducated will still vote

[@justinday5961]

How easy it is to go across shows just how similar they are!

[@VAZZYA]

Wife of a sexual offender went labour. Labour will defend it after all she said, right?

[@daveyjuice7710]

What who said Jimmy Saxille

[@antispindr8613]

Anyone seen the photos of the when Jimmy met Thatcher? They seemed to get on quite well!

[@Hartley_Hare]

@user-hl1ex6py8l She defended him - and then got rid of him when it made her look bad, before taking his seat and Parliamentary career. I would suggest that her motives may be suspect.

[@mcstuiain9511]

Disgusting...Labour has been destroyed by starmer the imposter

[@pppp67567]

He doesn't seem to have helped but Labour were a total mess well before that.

[@martindornan1667]

Red and blue Tories.

[@mcstuiain9511]

@@pppp67567 labour had grown to the largest democratic socialist party in Europe and got the largest share of the vote since 1945 ...how where they a mess ? People fell for lies smears and propaganda hook line and sinker

[@Millennial_Mike]

It's an ugly addition to Labour..

[@danfitz4450]

In other words. Dont trust any politicians. They're all about themselves and not you and I. A great shame in British politics.

[@MK-tb7wr]

100% correct 👍 specially a Hindu hypocrite that has hatred towards other people and wants to destroy u.k in the same way as INDIA…,,,,,,,,,,,

[@gogadgetgo3125]

Whats the surprise here? Both 'parties' are '2 cheeks of the same backside' as a certain scholar and gentleman succintly puts it.

[@AbdulGhani-vm6oq]

I was a life long labour supporter. But when Starmer strong armed labour MPs to vote against the ceasefire. I cancelled my membership. Bring back Corbyn.

[@richardh8082]

@AbdulGhani-vm6oq I honesty cannot be bothered to tell you how wrong your comment is. Enough to say it would have broken international law at that time. Please look it up. I dare you to get facts and change you mind

[@gregorybiestek3431]

Better a centrist Tory Labour that a majority of people can vote for rather than a looney left Socialist Labour under Corbyn that 75% of people are afraid of.

[@Boghopper9999]

They did vote for a ceasefire (recall the Hoyle crisis that followed), they just did not vote for the SNP version first

[@AbdulGhani-vm6oq]

@@richardh8082 really? So international law is your pathetic excuse. And not the fact Starmer was too busy trying to prove Labour are not antisemitic. To care about innocent women and children being massacred. You're NOT FOOLING anyone. #BringBackCorbyn

[@AbdulGhani-vm6oq]

@@Boghopper9999 don't lie to prove your non existent point. Let's not forget Starmers atrocious treatment of Diane Abbott. Bring back Corbyn.

[@bernardedwards8461]

She's still a member of the Uniparty, so crossing the floor is meaningless. As the last 5 years have shown, there is no signiicant difference between Labour and Tory policy.

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

Well, she is more right wing than Bravaman. So go figure! 😂😂

[@oshanegrant8494]

Party still looks anti- black by closing the door on Abbott opening for...

[@StratsRUs]

Starmer wants it that way to appeal to Sun readers he writes for.

[@paulburns1333]

Sick of getting "black" rammed down our throats.

[@jzilla1234]

Labour is very right wing

[@wjumeau]

It’s the new Far Right apparently.

[@splitter7376]

Ridiculous comment.

[@jerrysmith2360]

0:09 that looks so creepy. I know she’s on the extreme Tory right, probably still makes her more left wing than Kid Starver and half his shadow cabinet.

[@fToo]

if a male MP had said what she said about a sexual abuse victim ... I'm sure Starmer would (rightly) have refused him entry to the Labour party

[@SuperMcbonez]

And people still claim labour aren't red tories?

[@julianshepherd2038]

They identify as Blue Labour. I call them lower than vermin.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

Better a centrist Tory Labour that a majority of people can vote for rather than a looney left Socialist Labour under Corbyn that 75% of people are afraid of.

[@Bagofnowt]

She's not becoming a Labour MP in the traditional sense, she's not seeking re-election so it's just a protest

[@StratsRUs]

She just wanted the same thing but _different_ DELIVERY Same bigotry

[@Billyalaway]

Career Starmer was like a kid in a sweetsop

[@ratedr4057]

She has no honour or shame, why would you trust a back stabber?

[@deanjames2476]

Annalise dobbs being a good little mp and toeing starmers line

[@TheJon2442]

A rat leaving a sinking ship, towards a ship who does even know what a woman is!

[@geezerbutler4582]

At least they know it’s not a tractor

[@samcarena4702]

Another great reason not to vote for TelAviv Keith

[@ndnddjkdkdndnf]

It is shame for Tories. They are unable to retain their MPs. It is now time for a general election.

[@sunny96789]

Labour has just lost a vote

[@martinobrien7110]

Even Starmer is thinking , Who is she ?

[@LeonardHayward]

It's time for a change

[@Redsleather]

That’s why I’m backing Labour ✅

[@AldrinBanas-b9c]

Brilliant! Just brilliant! Thank you Natalie!😍

[@spark4598]

Wrong move from labour to accept people from unwanted party. Shame really. I am pulling my vote from labour at this point.

[@Dani20240]

We want a general election now.

[@jamieburton6395]

Is this a plant by the tories to reduce trust in labour? If so it’s working.

[@maggieadams8600]

Labour lost my trust even before they backed financing the relentless slaughter in Palestine like countless others.

[@mikesgamingcox1331]

When a politions defects it dosent show anything but how spineless they are not to try save there own party but its to just keep there jobs, they talk bollx

[@nickalina]

What on earth was Starmer thinking about by accepting her?

[@martindornan1667]

Starmer has spent the last several years giving the left in the Labour party a kicking and taking the Labour party to the right. After accepting 3 Tory MPs into the Labour party, especially someone as far right as Tory MP Natalie Cecilia It wouldn't surprise me if he asked Nigel Farage to join Labour next.

[@RealCeress]

Every conservative party member that jumps ship proves to everyone how unconservative the "conservative" party really is.

[@adampowell5376]

What is the point of the Labour Party?

[@wamteng3790]

So... How is she going to improve the housing situation now when she contributed to the housing crisis as a Tory?

[@jgmediting7770]

Labour have zero intention. Not to do it properly anyway.

[@martindornan1667]

Red and blue Tories.

[@adampowell5376]

I thought that the Tories left the centre ground in 1974-5.

[@kennethvenezia4400]

So she left the tories, and now she's a flight attendant for British airways, dressed and ready to go to work

[@nicholasmacnaughtan4492]

Labour has lost my vote

[@mwd331]

Please, please don't make us have the tories again because of that choice.. I can't do it anymore.

[@ChrispyNut]

They only got mine twice, but I've not been as anti Labour as I've been this past year. N.B. I'm in my 40s and voted in just about every election.

[@ChrispyNut]

​@@mwd331 So, a party with the Tories policy platform is fine, so long as it's a different name to the Tories. What's more, dragging the supposed socialist party to that position, so there's no actual left opposition to right-wing government. That would make you a right-winger, you just want a competent right-wing party (even though I don't believe such is possible).

[@jgmediting7770]

@@mwd331 labour are going to make you have to do it again.

[@ianHolmes-up2oc]

Labour could lose a lot of votes because of this

[@JosephKhoibu]

Great time for people❤

[@tatata1543]

For someone who , we are told, is not standing at the next election she is putting a lot if effort into backing Labour. Given the fact that she is a pretty awful person one has to ask, what’s in it for her? I’m not entirely convinced by Labour saying she won’t stand again or she won’t get a peerage. Someone like her doesn’t do things out of the goodness of her heart.

[@Lando-kx6so]

She shouldn't have been allowed into Labour at all or the party needs to force her to change her stance

[@paulsaid1365]

Well come to the uni party different name same policy's 😅😅😅

[@ahmedyoussef5244]

Those politicians have no principles whatsoever

[@paulineinnes5319]

It’s all a circus.

[@lyndacrosfill6340]

I think starmer being taken for a ride.she doesn't agree with anything labour wants.

[@splitter7376]

Yes this is quite obviously a way to save her own job going into the general election. Extremely transparent.

[@janpetersen7440]

A 'revolving door' politician usually only creates problems.

[@jhonson7079]

The people did not vote for Tories to be in the Labour Party

[@mikejames4540]

Starmer could become the most disliked PM before be even takes office.

[@mikejames4540]

Perhaps it’s a Tory plot to bring him down?

[@dianemessias5689]

Is she BA cabin crew?

[@kristoffscuba5466]

Next stop House of Lords eh? Pathetic.

[@grahamturner1290]

If this triggers more defections we may be getting a General Election earlier than expected. 😊

[@MicrophonesInTheTrees]

"Self-preservation is what's really going on today..."

[@danielw.2442]

This coup is pure statesmanship by Starmer. She won't make policies for Labour. Even better, she will work on Housing under Rayner. :D (may moderate Conservative voters follow)

[@shuaibshariff2797]

The UK is fast becoming a spent force. Every politician from Sunak to Blair to Starmer has done the country a great disservice. I long for the brilliance and toughness of Thatcher. GOD rest her soul in peace.

[@michealhunt6607]

Ding dong the witch is dead Brilliance?, yeah how she adovcated for "managed decline" for my area? k'off

[@jgmediting7770]

She literally started and caused it.

[@FontaineDerby]

Margaret Thatcher was Savile's close friend and protector. She spent 11 New Years with him, made 5 attempts to knight Savile knowing of allegations against Savile in 1983 (knighted him in 1990), appointed him to head a task force to run Broadmoor in 1988. But then Thatcher has form for covering up for and knighting her paedophile friends: Cyril Smith, Thatcher's Parliamentary Private Secretary: Peter Morrison, and Peter Hayman.

[@dawnmills5567]

God 🙄?!!!

[@FontaineDerby]

Margaret Thatcher was Savile's close friend and protector. She spent 11 New Years with him, made 5 attempts to knight Savile knowing of allegations against Savile in 1983 (knighted him in 1990), appointed him to head a task force to run Broadmoor in 1988. But then Thatcher has form for covering up for and knighting her paedophile friends: Cyril Smith, Thatcher's Parliamentary Private Secretary: Peter Morrison, and Peter Hayman.

[@Tom-fl9bb]

In Korea, We called these politicians "migratory bird (철새)".

[@Jestymesty]

Who is starmer going to shake hands with next? Braverman?

[@danielreid5114]

Will Braverman be next?

[@geezerbutler4582]

No Braverman is positioning herself as the even more nut job right winger Tory leader. The logic being the Tories weren’t right wing enough. The more cynical view would be shoring up the core vote and hoping they succeed in taking back Reform voters at the next but one election. Tory as a brand being valuable as a party of governance no matter how awful their 14 year record is. Labour messing up would make that comeback easier. These are interesting times and that is not a good thing

[@ashaqhussain6902]

Braverman will probably be the new leader of the National Front.

[@ab8865]

Probably 😂😂

[@ab8865]

They are going over to labour because they know the tory party is finished and everyone is pissed off with greed

[@miranakyuz6337]

We dont want her nooooo wayyyyyyy. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@antonio3220]

This is good considering that labour will need the votes of many that voted conservative in 2019 and in previous elections.

[@loopwithers]

Starmer has just done something very VERY stupid

[@TheSuperPsychoKiller]

Starmer is a fraud. He made Labour more right wing and kicked out the left wingers.

[@Giantcrabz]

Kid Starver using the same playbook as the Democrats with Sinema and Joe Manchin

[@direnova6284]

Grifter.

[@CatherineElizabethCharlesworth]

David Cameron has had his title stripped. He is a sir no longer.

[@TC8787-yq7og]

Imagine voting for this spineless Labour bunch 😂

[@Redsleather]

Imagine still voting for the spineless Sunak

[@TC8787-yq7og]

@@Redsleather tell me about it

[@chelloandra]

Rats jumping ship ……. Pending on your motivations there is no hope within and for anything within Tory party however, this long before Sunak - they left center ground with Brexit

[@stephfoxwell4620]

The sinking ships are abandoning the Rat.

[@monkeyboy8424]

Nowhere man Ritchie Sunak is waxing his surfboard and big splash Penny Mordaunt is deciding on wallpaper. No matter, the Tories face extinction at the general election.

[@MrFlashpan]

The rats are jumping around the drifting planks, the ships gone down and all is lost.......self preservation is getting desperate.

[@MK-tb7wr]

The Hindu sunak snake 🐍 guy……. is been rejected for his hatred towards fellow citizens and hypocrisy towards low and middle class citizens in the u.k

[@KimWilliamsmixupchannel]

That's funny the Tories losing mps to Labour

[@gmonkman]

Well I left the Labour party 4 weeks ago. JC was the last chance we had of a proper change in this country

[@sphughes01]

Its like Rudolph Hess arriving by plane to Scotland except he was not believed and arrested. In 2024 Labour welcome a noted right winger.

[@The.Magnificent.one.2025]

Right winger? Lol.

[@Connorpunk2024]

Labour already has right wingers in the party also has left wingers and centrists but they are united

[@123brownjames]

I expect she’ll be getting a peerage come Christmas

[@mrstephenpariah]

Or the husband

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks for posting

[@lionroar26]

Blue zionist Red zionist No difference

[@OnlineEnglish-wl5rp]

So her position on legal and illegal immigration is in the interests of working people then

[@lyndacrosfill6340]

Quits or Sunak's spy in the labour camp.

[@randomeyes]

I joked too she might be a spy 😅 Labour are desperate fools. Anyway it's getting juicy I'll keep watching this pantomime of British politics it's entertaining 😂

[@JMT1985MO]

"She was hidden then scuttled to her new seat. A few moments later she was recognized by her former Party. . ." As an American, I love British politics. It's like the Animal Channel.

[@noramartin96]

All Starmer needs to do now is to welcome Boris Johnson

[@indefatigable8193]

Brits like a center politician. Let’s normalize not giving Tories a pass on that. Lord knows the nation hasn’t given it to Labour. It’s wildly unfair that the general public and media is so harsh on Labour. I’m always hearing “what do they stand for, really?” The answer is the center, idiots. Did everyone miss what New Labour was about. Like c’mon. This is an authentic part of Labour. Give the acid test a rest.

[@willraven2302]

yeah the tories flip flop all the time but are given less than half the scrutiny.