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Sir Keir Starmer is expected to resist calls for Diane Abbott to immediately return to the Labor Party after welcoming former Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke into the party.
The Labor leader on Wednesday accepted the departure of hardline former Tory Elphike, sparking new divisions within the party.
Following the decision, parties across the party are calling for Mr Abbott to be re-joined Labor Party immediately. She was suspended from her job more than a year ago for making remarks that appeared to be anti-Semitic.
But Labor leaders have questioned whether Sir Keir will extend an olive branch to the veteran left-wing MP despite mounting pressure.
Asked whether the Labor leader would relent, one shadow minister said: I: “No. I don’t think he’s going to do it, I really don’t think so. He has to put anti-Semitism to bed. That’s a bigger problem.”
The MP also criticized colleagues for attacking the decision to accept her into the party, adding: “I couldn’t believe all the headlines about how bad this was for Keir Starmer.” Now we’re finally reaching out to social conservative voters with all the liberal votes we’ve accumulated over the years as seats we’ll win anyway. ”
Following Mr Elphike’s decision, several Labor leaders have called on Lord Keir to recall Ms Abbott, with Baroness Shami Chakrabarti telling the BBC: Abbott will quickly and wisely repair her whip. ”
His comments came after former Labor cabinet minister Ed Balls criticized party leader Anneliese Dodds over the leadership’s stance on Mr Abbott.
Appearing on ITV, he said: “Diane Abbott, the longest serving black woman in our country’s history, is not currently a Labor member of the House of Commons because you are keeping her out of Parliament. It is because of this.” party.
“Why is Natalie Elphike an acceptable face for Labor in the House of Commons and Diane Abbott not an unacceptable face?”
Labor left-wing sources said the decision to allow Mr Elphike to join the party reinforced the view among many MPs that Mr Abbott’s suspension was an example of double standards.
“This exposes their disciplinary process for what it is and it is simply a way to bash the left,” they said, adding that opposition leaders must find a way to restore the whip between the two sides. He added that he believes this is no longer inevitable. Now and the next election.
Left-wing lobby group Momentum also attacked the decision, with spokesperson and Labor MP Martin Abrams saying: “The double standards couldn’t be more obvious, coming months after the far-right Tory MP’s offensive comments. Even though I have apologized, there have been no repercussions.” Meanwhile, Britain’s first black female MP has apologized and been suspended for a year, which will continue.
“The Labor leadership’s commitment to equality is in tatters. All that matters to Starmer is how far right-wing he is.”
Elphike apologized on Thursday for comments she made in support of her ex-husband, who was convicted of sexual assault, following criticism from colleagues in her new party.
Elphicke’s ex-husband, former Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women in 2020 and sentenced to two years in prison.
She said that although Mr Elfike’s conviction ended their marriage, it failed, saying Mr Elphike was “attractive and attracted to women” and was an “easy target for dirty politics and false allegations”. upheld the appeal.
In a statement, Elphike condemned “his actions towards other women and me,” saying “he was right to be prosecuted” and “I am sorry for what I said about his victims.” added.
Ms Elphike first hinted at the possibility of asylum more than six months ago, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the original Rwanda deal.
On X, formerly Twitter, she wrote: “We now need a new policy: a new cross-Channel agreement with France that will stop boats leaving the country and return them to the safety of French shores.” That’s what Prime Minister David Cameron said. It should be a top foreign policy priority. ”