By Becky Morton
BBC political reporter
MP Natalie Elphicke – who defected from the Tories to Labour – has apologised for comments she made supporting her ex-husband after he was convicted of sexual assault.
Charlie Elphicke was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women in 2020.
Some Labour MPs had raised concerns about her saying he was “an easy target” for false allegations because he was “attractive”.
The Dover MP joined the Labour Party on Wednesday.
In a statement on Thursday she said she knew her defection would “put a spotlight on the prosecution of my ex-husband”.
“The period of 2017 – 2020 was an incredibly stressful and difficult one for me as I learned more about the person I thought I knew. I know it was far harder for the women who had to relive their experiences and give evidence against him,” she said.
“I have previously, and do, condemn his behaviour towards other women and towards me. It was right that he was prosecuted and I’m sorry for the comments that I made about his victims.”
Mr Elphicke, who was her predecessor as MP for Dover, was jailed for two years in 2020 for sexual assault.
Mrs Elphicke ended their marriage after his conviction but supported his unsuccessful appeal.
In September 2020, she told the Sun newspaper he was “an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations” because he was “attractive, and attracted to, women”.
