Natalie Elphicke defection faces backlash as Nadhim Zahawi to step down as MP at normal election – dwell

The Prime Minister is holding a gathering with Gillian Keegan alongside Professor Lisa Roberts, vice-chancellor of Exeter College and Professor Shitij Kapur, vice-chancellor of King’s School.

Man Dabby-Joory of the Union of Jewish College students (UJS), Tom Tugendhat, Michael Gove and Dr Dave Wealthy, director of coverage at Group Safety Belief have been additionally attending.

It comes after college students from a dozen universities throughout the UK have arrange US-style campus encampments in opposition to the struggle in Gaza.

Mr Sunak mentioned the pro-Palestinian protests have sparked an “unacceptable rise in antisemitism” and vowed to guard Jewish college students.

Natalie Elphicke’s defection to Labour has raised issues amongst some in Keir Starmer’s social gathering who condemned her defence of her former husband who was imprisoned after being charged with sexual assault.

Ms Elphicke, who defected to the Labour Occasion on Wednesday, was briefly suspended from the Commons in 2021 for making an attempt to affect his trial and was compelled to apologise.

Charlotte Cornell, a Labour councillor who ran in opposition to Ms Elphicke in Dover in 2019, advised The Unbiased: “Her feedback minimised what was predatory behaviour and sexual abuse.

“It is likely one of the causes I discover as we speak actually exhausting to grasp. I do know there shall be ladies within the native space who’re extremely upset by as we speak’s resolution.”

Tees Valley Mayor Lord Ben Houchen blamed the Prime Minister for the Tory “chaos” and mentioned Conservatives are “combating one another like rats in a sack”.

The mauling from voters in final week’s contests, dropping almost 5000 council seats, is a testomony to the mayhem unfolding contained in the social gathering, he mentioned.

Lord Houchen advised BBC Radio: “There’s a number of folks combating with one another within the Conservative Occasion, there are defections happening, and in the end the general public don’t vote for events who aren’t united and aren’t presenting a united entrance and in addition aren’t speaking to the general public.

“In the event that they’re combating with one another like rats in a sack as a substitute of claiming to the general public ‘that is what we’re going to do for you’, that doesn’t win elections.

“Clearly, it in the end lies with Rishi however there are many people who must get their act collectively, cease messing about and begin speaking to the general public about what they will supply them, moderately than simply combating with one another.”

Schooling Secretary Gillian Keegan has mentioned Natalie Elphicke was a “very odd match” for the Labour Occasion contemplating the Dover and Deal MP’s views on immigration.

Requested if she feared different Tory MPs might comply with and defect, Ms Keegan advised Occasions Radio that she hoped most of her different colleagues have been “extra principled than that”.

She mentioned it was not clear what deal Ms Elphicke had made to cross the ground to Labour and there may be “all types of hypothesis” as to why she would achieve this.

She advised LBC of Ms Elphicke: “Her rules and her insurance policies, and her positions, have modified as typically as Keir Starmer’s.

“I don’t actually know her, she’s rather more on the proper of the social gathering. I feel any person mentioned they couldn’t discover anybody extra right-wing than Natalie Elphicke.

“So, I don’t actually know her very properly however clearly she has had a large 180 diploma change in a few of her views miraculously, I assume in a single day, and I’m not 100% positive how one can change your views and rules that shortly.”

Former chancellor and training secretary Nadhim Zahawi has introduced he won’t stand on the subsequent normal election.

The MP for Stratford-on-Avon revealed the information in a resignation letter posted to X, previously Twitter.

He mentioned: “After 14 years in Parliament, and a number of roles in Cupboard and Authorities, I’ve come to the choice to not stand once more on the subsequent normal election.”

Mr Zahawi mentioned he would proceed to serve his constituents till the following election and that “the Prime Minister, and the Conservative Occasion, will proceed to have my loyal assist into and past the following normal election”.

He mentioned was proud that his constituents might open up to him, including: “Whether or not they’re struggling in opposition to the lifeless hand of paperwork, or are laid low with tragedy, with the ability to assist them of their time of want stays one of the significant issues I’ve ever accomplished”.

Mr Zahawi was training secretary from September 2021 to July 2022 and had a brief stint as chancellor of the exchequer between July and September 2022.

In 2023, Rishi Sunak sacked Mr Zahawi as Tory Occasion chairman after an ethics inquiry discovered he had damaged the Ministerial Code a number of occasions over his tax affairs.

Mr Zahawi is the sixty fifth Tory MP – out of a complete of 344 Conservatives within the Commons – to have introduced they won’t stand on the subsequent election.