Labour MPs didn’t bother to smile when Natalie Elphicke defected – is this proof ‘spineless’ Starmer will let anyone in?
“LABOUR has a choice . . . they can vote with the Government to stop the boats or they can vote against and defy the British people’s desire to control our borders.”
So said Labour’s newest MP Natalie Elphicke — the Dover defector — at the height of Commons wrangling over Rwanda last year.
“Will Keir Starmer be prepared to get tough or will Sir Softie strike again?
“In my constituency we see Labour’s true colours. It is an open-borders, pro-immigration party. It does not want to stop the boats.”
For good measure, she added: “Just like Brexit, on small boats: Labour cannot be trusted and does not listen.
“Under Labour’s plans, terrorist suspects will have routes to stay in the UK”.
‘Plain wrong’
When someone texted me to tell me the once true blue Elphicke was jumping ship, I wasn’t alone in presuming she was heading to Reform.
Why doesn’t turncoat Nat just say what she really thinks about her new pals . . .
On the economy? “It’s time Labour stopped talking Britain down. It’s unpatriotic as well as plain wrong.”
Labour’s solution to tackle the cost of living? “Grabbing more in taxes from the pockets of millions of hard-working British people. Same old Labour.”
On the NHS? “Over the many years of a Labour government, Dover and Deal saw its health service absolutely decimated”.
And that’s before we even get to her grovelling apology issued yesterday after defending her sex offender hubby and slagging off his victims.
Labour’s usual suspects were not so much up in arms but left gawping and gasping as one of their favourite baddies from across the aisle was plonked on their ideologically pure benches.
They didn’t even bother trying to smile at their spectacularly right-wing new recruit.
Either Captain Hindsight did not see that one coming, or was craven enough not to care.
As amusing as it was to watch the air rush out of Starmer’s big balloon, there might be a serious point here.
Sometimes you probably should look a gift horse in the mouth
Sometimes you probably should look a gift horse in the mouth.
Say your biggest weakness in the eyes of the voting public is that you don’t really stand for anything, flip flop and have ditched every promise you’ve ever made on your road to power.
Would it really then show good judgment to cement that image by announcing that literally anyone can join your gang, even if they hated you five minutes ago?
Even the famously unfunny Neil Kinnock managed to crack a zinger at his successor’s misfortune, joking “the Labour Party is a broad church, but even churches have walls”.
If ever there was a time to lead a potential defector up the garden path, before politely telling them, “Thank you but no thank you”, this was it.
And a canny operator would have then just leaked the whole saga, taking the win of the Tories in chaos without the baggage of taking on one of their MPs that even they were happy to see depart.
Instead, the words “spineless” and “Starmer” are back on people’s lips, with claims Tony Blair would never have made a tactical error like this.
Gaza mob
What is frustrating Rishi Sunak and his gang the most is that Labour are making mistakes at the moment. Often unforced errors, to boot.
The £28billion green mess, letting Angela Rayner rewrite the rules of transparency in public office, kowtowing to the Gaza mob, now this.
While it does not seem to be moving the dial a jot — to the fury of Tory strategists — what it tells us about a future Keir Starmer premiership is worrying.
The words ‘spineless’ and ‘Starmer’ are back on people’s lips, with claims Tony Blair would never have made a tactical error like this
According to the polls, the public are either not listening, don’t care — or are just so fed up with the Government they are looking past the Opposition’s obvious warning signs.
I suspect it is a bit of all three.
But I also reckon they will sit up and pay attention pretty damn quick if this is how Sir Keir plans to run the country . . .
RISHI, THE TEN HAG OF THE TORIES
IS Rishi Sunak the Erik ten Hag of the Tory party? Some of his MPs think so . . .
Both dealt with painful results this week at Crystal Palace, where the PM went to spin his local elections drubbing.
Both were dealt a bad hand, taking over a once global, unstoppable force that was already on the slide.
They’ve both lost star players, they’ve both struggled to keep the dressing room.
They have both spent a lot of money.
Both have been rocked by damaging leaks at the worst possible time.
Neither looks likely to be heading to Europe any time soon.
While they show the occasional glimmer of their once winning ways, they have both ended up in a spiral of decline.
Will both be out of a job by the end of the summer?
If so, both are likely to be offered a new gig abroad on better cash . . .
HAS David Cameron just scotched that jumbo Brexit trade deal with India being signed before the next election?
“Yes, we support free trade,” he said during his first big Foreign Secretary speech in the job.
“But no, we will not sign a free trade deal just for the sugar rush of the press release.”
Talks with the Indians stalled over giving them more visas in return for us selling them more whisky, Range Rovers and financial services.
Just like hopes of a similar accord with Canada have hit the rocks over cheese and beef.
Some in government have been pushing for slimline deals, side-stepping the trickier parts before the next election.
But Lord Dave says: “You only get one chance to do these properly, and it’s important to get it right.”
Sounds like that’s that then.