Afternoon summary
The Conservative MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke, has staged a dramatic defection to Labour saying her former party has become “a byword for incompetence and division”. Although the announcement of the news at noon provided huge embarrassment for Rishi Sunak at PMQs, many Labour MPs have expressed alarm about Keir Starmer’s decision to allow Elphicke to join the party given her record as a rightwinger. Summing up some of the discontent in a report for Politico, Emilio Casalicchio reports:
One shadow minister said people like Elphicke should not be welcomed into Labour, adding: “She has views that would be welcome in Reform.” A backbencher said although she had done good work on housing, Elphicke was “on the hard right of the Conservatives” on almost all other issues, adding: “I do hope this doesn’t mean an import of some of her problematic views from the past.” A staffer to a shadow minister said Elphicke was a “right-wing opportunist,” adding: “We don’t need these people … It won’t change a single person’s vote. Natalie Elphicke isn’t even a name in her own living room.”
John Swinney has appointed Kate Forbes as Scotland’s deputy first minister.
The Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price has been elected as the new chair of the Commons public administration and consitutional affairs committee. She beat Tom Randall in the election to replace William Wragg, who resigned.
