Fake ‘welcome to Labour’ memes have been doing the rounds on social media following Natalie Elphicke’s defection to the Labour Party.
MPs have criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to welcome Tory defector Elphicke, the second MP to cross the floor in two weeks.
Elphicke quit the Conservatives just moments before Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, hitting out at Rishi Sunak’s “tired and chaotic government” and accusing the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on his promise to “stop the boats”.
But her debut as a Labour MP has not been welcomed by all of her new colleagues, with some raising concerns about comments she made after her then-husband was convicted of sexual assault.
One Labour MP told the PA news agency: “I think it’s utterly disgraceful.
“She’s totally right-wing and supported her husband when he sexually assaulted women.
“There are Labour MPs still suspended and we’re welcoming MPs who have voted to push people into poverty. I despair.”
Another MP said she had been left in tears by the news of Ms Elphicke’s defection.
Ms Elphicke’s former husband and predecessor as MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, was convicted in 2020 of sexually assaulting two women and sentenced to two years in prison.
Although she ended the marriage after his conviction, Ms Elphicke supported his unsuccessful appeal and described the verdict as “a terrible miscarriage of justice”, saying Elphicke had been “attractive, and attracted to women” and “an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations”.
A raft of fake ‘Welcome to Labour’ memes have been doing the rounds since.
Here’s a pick of the best:
Related: Mordaunt: Tory odds of retaining Dover have improved since Elphicke defection