TAKING in Tory defector Natalie Elphicke was “naked opportunism by Labour”, Lord David Cameron said today.
The Foreign Secretary slammed Sir Keir Starmer for welcoming in the right-wing hardliner — amid fresh allegations that she lobbied on behalf of her sex offender ex-husband.
Sir Keir Starmer was slammed by Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron after he took in Dover MP Natalie Elphicke, following her defection from the ToriesGareth Fuller / PA Wire
Lord Cameron appeared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme todayJeff Overs / BBC
Lord Cameron said: “This is quite a right-wing Conservative MP suddenly welcomed into the Labour fold having never supported any of their policies, people or approaches.”
Labour today backed the Dover MP, brushing off the fresh corruption claims against her.
She has been accused of pushing ministers in 2020 to interfere in her ex-husband Charlie Elphicke’s sex offences trial.
The Sunday Times reported she told then Lord Chancellor Sir Robert Buckland it was unfair the case was the first to be heard at Southwark crown court after the Covid lockdown.
One person present viewed her comments as a bid to have the case moved to a lower-profile court to spare embarrassment.
But Labour’s Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “She said that is nonsense and not her interpretation of the meeting.
“I obviously wasn’t in the meeting so I don’t know.
“If this happened at the time, then why did the Lord Chancellor not raise this issue at the time through his good offices?”
Lord Cameron noted that Ms Elphicke was known as a right-wing hardliner and had not previously supported any Labour policiesGetty Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
