Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has made it clear that he would not have permitted Natalie Elphicke to join the party, differing from Keir Starmer's decision.
Sarwar described past comments by Elphicke as “reprehensible” following her defection from the Conservatives to Starmer's party last Wednesday.
Elphicke has issued an apology for remarks she made in support of her ex-husband following his conviction for sexual assault. Charlie Elphicke was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women in 2020.
Not only that, her previous stances on trade unions, immigration, and anti-strike legislation have faced scrutiny and criticism from Labour leaders, who are now her colleagues.
Speaking on Good Morning Scotland, Sarwar stated, “Looking at some of the comments that have been attributed to her or that she has said, I find them completely unacceptable and don’t agree with them. What I do agree with her on is that Rishi Sunak is a squatter.”
When asked if he would have welcomed Elphicke into his own ranks, Sarwar replied, “She certainly wouldn’t have been a Scottish Labour candidate, I can be really clear about that. Where I agree with Natalie Elphicke is that Rishi Sunak is a disaster... But in terms of her wider comments, I don’t find them agreeable and some of them I think [are] reprehensible.”
This disagreement is not the first between Sarwar and Starmer. Sarwar previously urged for a law allowing 16-year-olds to change gender and criticised Starmer's support for the two-child benefit cap, as reported by The Telegraph.
Labour MP Rosie Duffield called for Elphicke's suspension pending an investigation into allegations that she lobbied ministers during her ex-husband's sex assault trial. Elphicke's spokesperson dismissed these claims as "nonsense."
Left-wing Labour MPs Zarah Sultana and Grahame Morris shared a letter criticising Elphicke's inclusion in the party, citing her views on immigration and her conduct in the Commons.
The letter, written by Matt Wrack of the Fire Brigades Union, questioned the decision to admit Elphicke without proper scrutiny, as reported by The Telegraph.
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