Shoulder with the Prime Minister when rishi sunak invited reporters to dover last summer to talk about stopping the boats. Less than a year later, she has stopped being a Conservative Mp. Look at the leader shes appearing with now. I must when admit, i got up this morning i didnt expect to hear this today. Natalie elphicke, the labour member of parliament for dover and deal. I think she speaks for many tory voters think she speaks for many tory voters in think she speaks for many tory voters in saying the tory party has changed. Voters in saying the tory party has changed. It voters in saying the tory party has changed, it has left the centre ground~ changed, it has left the centre ground. But equally the labour party has changed and we are very clearly the party has changed and we are very clearly the party of has changed and we are very clearly the party of the national interest, of the the party of the national interest, of the country first, party second. Realty of the country firs
Hello and welcome to the bbc news at one. In the last hour, the mp Natalie Elphicke has become the latest conservative to defect to the labour party. Natalie elphicke has been the mp for dover in kent since 2019. Our chief Political Correspondent Henry Zeffmanjoins Me from The Houses Of Parliament henry, was this a surprise . It was a shock. If you had asked me before this afternoon to list 100 conservative mps most likely to defect to the labour party, Natalie Elphicke would have been nowhere near that list. And i think that was reflected in the faces of conservative mps at prime ministers questions, as keir starmer announced at the start of his question that he wanted to welcome her to the labour side. Mps had not noticed her there, and they were expressing to bewilderment to each other. Natalie elphickes announcement will hurt rishi sunak, because she goes for him on an issue that is central to his attempt to recover his political position. She accuses him of failing on small boats.