Sir Keir Starmer “looked at Rosie Duffield like she was an alien” when the pair met for the first time in four years in May 2024, the former Labour MP has said.Duffield – who spoke to the future Prime Minister for just 17 minutes last May – vowed that she could only re-enter Labour if and when Starmer is no longer the party’s leader in an interview with Chopper’s Political Podcast.Duffield was speaking for the first time since Starmer refused to apologise during Prime Minister’s Questions this week, for how she was treated by the party when she was “hounded out” .She said she found herself isolated and ostracised in the party – in part because of her position supporting women’s rights in the trans debate.The now-independent Canterbury MP told GB News’ Political Editor Christopher Hope that after “months and months of negotiation” she met with Starmer for the first time in four years in May 2024 – just before the General Election.She said: “One of the whips managed to get me in front of him for 17 minutes. And that was after four years of trying… And he just looked at me like I was an alien.”I don’t think he has any concept of this particular issue or what people in the party have been put through over it, actually.”Duffield also claimed she found “it hard to believe that Keir is so far removed”, adding: “I’m just surprised he didn’t understand how many people felt so strongly and how many different groups were invested.LATEST AS LABOUR WRESTLES WITH THE SUPREME COURT RULING:Keir Starmer finally breaks silence on Supreme Court after failing to address landmark women’s rulingLabour MP says ‘damage was done’ to women in sport before gender ruling: ‘They have been injured by this!’‘Appalling!’ Labour Ministers hatch secret plot to defy trans ruling as MPs ‘organise meeting ASAP’”He does seem to be almost completely unaware of all of the different sets of people that have been affected by this, like sports and clubs.”She was re-elected as a Labour MP at July’s election – before quitting in September, in part over the freebies accepted by Starmer and members of his top team of ministers.Duffield said she wanted to see “a clear statement from Keir Starmer… that we could see is… not necessarily an apology to women, but an explanation as to why he hasn’t been more clear so far.”He’s flip-flopped around this for the last few years… A lot of the people in the Cabinet now have always seen it as a fringe issue. They wish it would go away. It’s a bit awkward, a bit difficult to talk about.”Duffield said that she wanted to rejoin the Labour Party – but only when Starmer has quit.”The Tories were always very supportive. Kemi [Badenoch] is a friend of mine. But we’re ideologically very different.”I got elected as a Labour MP. My values are that of the Labour Party… before they turned into an austerity party. And they’ve been a huge letdown to me and lots of other backbenchers.”Duffield said she would stay on as an independent “for now”, adding: “I would like to be able to go back to the Labour Party at some point, but that’s not on the cards under his leadership.”A spokesman for the Labour party told GB News: “We have been clear about supporting the Supreme Court ruling.”You can listen to Chopper’s Political Podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts.
MP protests in support of hunger strike prisoner
...
Read moreDetails