Natalie Elphicke was elected as ‌the Conservative MP‌ ‌for Dover‌,‌ ‌having‌ ‌first‌ ‌been‌ ‌elected‌ ‌to‌ ‌Parliament‌ ‌in 2019, succeeding her former husband, the former MP Charlie Elphicke. The couple have since separated after Mr Elphicke was convicted and jailed for sexual assault in 2020.
In May 2024, Ms Elphicke crossed the floor of the House of Commons, announcing she was joining the Labour Party.
The Dover constituency in Kent covers the town and major ferry port of Dover, the town of Deal, and the intervening countryside. Reflecting the importance of the port to the local economy, Elphicke is the Deputy Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Maritime and Ports at Westminster.
Dover has traditionally been a marginal seat and was held by Gwyn Prosser for the Labour Party between 1997 and 2010. The area is though a Brexit stronghold with 63% of the local population backing Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. The Conservative Party won with an increased majority of 12,278 in 2019.
Born‌ ‌in 1970, Natalie Elphicke was educated at a Kent Grammar school, before studying law at the University of Kent. She worked as finance lawyer before being elected to Parliament, including working as a lawyer for the Inland Revenue.
Regarded as an expert on housing finance policy, Elphicke worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the Housing and Finance Institute. The Institute was set up after she co-authored the Elphicke-House report relating to the role of local authorities in housing supply.
According to the Register of Members Interests, Elphicke is currently Chair of the New Homes Quality Board for which she is paid.
She was awarded an OBE in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to housing.
Elphicke is a former Non Executive Director of the Student Loans Company.
In July 2021, Elphicke came to public attention after England were defeated on a penalty shoot out in the final of the European football Championships. A social media message emerged showing Elphicke suggesting Marcus Rashford, one of the failed penalty takers, should have ‘spent less time playing politics’ and ‘more time perfecting his game’. She later apologised for the comment.
Email –Â natalie.elphicke.mp@parliament.uk
Website‌ ‌–‌ ‌ ‌natalieelphicke.com
Twitter‌ ‌–‌ ‌ ‌@NatalieElphicke
