Two weeks after losing an MP to Labour, the Conservatives have now lost another as Natalie Elphicke has defected to the opposition benches. Elected in 2019 and replacing her husband, who was removed from Parliament due to sexual harassment charges, Elphicke switched parties to Labour during a House of Commons meeting to maximize embarrassment for her former boss, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Elphicke cited the Conservative Party’s shift away from the center ground of British politics under Sunak’s leadership as her reason for leaving. She also criticized the government’s housing policies and its failure to address mass migration, an issue she has spoken out about before. Elphicke’s move to Labour reflects a trend of centrist MPs abandoning the Tories as they face criticism from both the right and the left.
This defection marks the second in two weeks, with former government minister Dan Poulter also crossing the floor to Labour recently. Poulter praised Labour for moving towards the center and aligning more closely with his own views. As the Conservative Party faces challenges on key issues like taxes and migration, they are vulnerable to attacks from both sides of the political spectrum.
