Labour silence masks fury among MPs at Keir Starmer on welcoming Tory defector Natalie Elphicke
Few Labour MPs have gone public in criticising Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to welcome Tory Rightwinger Natalie Elphicke into the party’s ranks.
But there is fury in Labour circles.
This has been heightened by the party’s leadership dragging its feet on returning the parliamentary whip to veteran MP Diane Abbott, or at least announcing that this is not going to happen.
Officially, the leadership has pushed the party’s disciplinary procedures beyond its reach, and this may be the case.
But Sir Keir is facing growing criticism as it is now more than a year since Ms Abbott, Britain’s first black woman MP, was suspended over a letter appearing to diminish racism against Jewish people.
She withdrew her remarks and apologised "for any anguish caused" but still remains outside the parliamentary Labour party.
MPs are asking why is there room in Labour ranks for Dover MP Ms Elphicke, given her series of controversial remarks on immigration, sexual harassment and criticism of footballer and free school meals campaigner Marcus Rashford, but not for Ms Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
Some Leftwingers fear they could be purged from the party if they speak out.
It is striking how the tables have turned since the Corbyn era when it was the Blairites who felt they were under such threats.
It is not just Leftwingers who are angry at the Elphicke decision.
But few are putting their head above the parapet to voice this ire.
Canterbury Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who has seemingly fallen out with Sir Keir, highlighted this on Twitter.
“A million requests for interviews again today,” she tweeted.
“I seem to be the only Labour MP willing to put my name to quotes yet again, not sure why this is constantly the case when so many of us feel exactly the same on several topical issues?
“It would be great if colleagues also spoke up...”
Some Labour MPs, though, also appear to be staying silent as party leaders consolidate their power if they are ahead in the polls.
Former Blair-era Ilford South Labour MP Mike Gapes highlighting Sir Keir’s position of strength, tweeting: “Poll puts Labour 30 points ahead of Conservatives.
“Trots and Tankies go into melt down. Guardian columnists furiously venting their anger. And it is a beautiful sunny Spring day.”
Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock was a rare voice to seemingly take a swipe at the wisdom of welcoming Ms Elphicke to the Labour benches.
“We have got to be choosy to a degree about who we allow to join our party because it's a very broad church but churches have walls and there are limits," he told BBC Radio 4's The Week in Westminster.
Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell also voiced reservations.
He told LBC’s Andrew Marr show that the Elphicke defection “certainly is a stunt that damages the Tories, there's no doubt about that, but it also has implications for the Labour Party as well.”
He added: “I'm a great believer in the powers of conversion, but I think even this one would have strained the generosity of spirit of John the Baptist, quite honestly.”
Privately, far more Labour MPs are scathing, with some also criticising party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds who was put out on the media round to defend the decision.
Sir Keir may well have scored a double blow against the Tories with Ms Elphicke and former health minister Dan Poulter crossing the floor.
It is at least short-term minor wins for Labour in the rows over immigration and the NHS, and a further hit to Rishi Sunak’s government being deserted by more and more Tory MPs announcing they will stand down at the next election.
But time will tell if either of the defections will turn out to be an own goal and come back to bite the Labour leader.
