Could Keir Starmer's Decision To Welcome Natalie Elphicke From The Tories Backfire?

  (The Huffington Post) : Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with former Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke in his parliamentary office in the House of Commons, London, after it was announced she has defected to Labour. Keir Starmer was feeling very pleased with himself after prime minister’s questions today. The Labour leader was cock-a-hoop at pulling off a show-stealing coup when Tory MP Natalie Elphicke dramatically crossed the floor just two minutes before the weekly Commons showpiece. Conservative MPs were left stunned by the moment of parliamentary theatre, exchanging quizzical looks and muttering darkly as it became clear what had happened. Elphicke, the MP for Dover, is the third Tory to defect to Labour in this parliament - and the second to do so inside a fortnight. A delighted Starmer said: “She’s got a strong track record on issues such as housing, she’s on the frontline when it comes to the crisis of small boats. “I think she speaks for very many Tory voters in saying that the Tory Party has changed, it’s left the centre ground. But equally the Labour Party has changed  and we are very clearly the party of the national interest.” But it is Elphicke’s previous right-wing stance on issues as diverse as immigration and Marcus Rashford’s school meal campaign which raised eyebrows, and could cause trouble for Starmer further down the line. As Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker said on X: “I have been searching in vain for a Conservative MP who thinks themself to the right of Natalie Elphicke. One just quipped: ‘I didn’t realise there was any room to her right’.” ???I have been searching ..