A SCOTTISH Labour MSP has responded to Keir Starmer welcoming controversial right-wing Tory MP Natalie Elphicke to the party.
Monica Lennon called the decision into question and told The National that Labour must “stay true to our values”.
The MSP for Central Scotland (below) said that former leader Neil Kinnock was correct in his analysis of the decision. The current Labour peer said in a tweet that Labour have to be “choosy” about who joins the party since “it's a very broad church but churches have walls and there are limits!”.
He added that Elphicke has to decide is she is committed to Labour values as "we are a political party and not a debating club".
Starmer, meanwhile, said he was delighted with her defection, telling reporters yesterday it showed his party was "the party of the national interest".
But it has led to some further backlash from within his party – albeit mostly behind closed doors.
As well as Elphicke's political stance, many Labour MPs are reportedly deeply uncomfortable with remarks she made about her then-husband Charlie Elphicke, whom she replaced as Dover MP in 2019.
In an interview after his conviction in 2020 for sexual assault, Elphicke was reported to have said being "attractive and attracted to women" made him an "easy target". She was also suspended from the Commons for one day for trying to influence the judge in her husband’s case.
In 2021, Elphicke also said that England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford's campaigning on food poverty was "playing politics".
Lennon said of the defection: “The public are sick of musical chairs at Westminster and Holyrood and just want to have their say at the ballot box.
“I think Neil Kinnock called this right. We should act with care and integrity on these matters because serving the Labour Party and the communities we represent is a huge privilege.
“Our party is full of loyal and talented members who would be brilliant ambassadors for Labour.
“While it’s no surprise Tory MPs are walking out on that toxic right wing party, the Labour Party must stay true to our values by placing equality, human rights and fairness at the heart of all we do.”
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