Rosie Duffield divided opinion on the rainy streets of Canterbury the day after the bombshell announcement that she would quit the Labor Party.
Ironically, for an MP running into trouble for Jeremy Corbyn, one of the strongest defenses from his constituents in Kent came from two of Duffield’s admirers who applauded him for putting Keir Starmer into office.
“He doesn’t seem to like people who disagree with him, doesn’t he? And it’s a shame because it’s important to have dissenting voices in the party,” said Kate Andrews, a former probation service worker who has been around central Canterbury. He and his partner Nick, a retired headteacher, also noted how Duffield opposed winter fuel allowance cuts and spoke in support of veteran Labor MP Diane Abbott.
However, five years later they were undecided about whether to vote for Duffield. But for now, the departure from Labor was continuing to create ripples in Westminster.
Asked by journalists about Duffield’s claim at the weekend that Starmer had a “problem with women” and was “more interested in greed and power” than making change in the country, the prime minister’s spokesman gave a clear “no”.
There was evidence that such sentiment was nevertheless making an impact, alongside ongoing anger among voters over cuts to winter fuel allowances for all but the poorest pensioners.
John Rolph, who works at a charity shop in the city, said: “I won’t be affected by it but there are clearly people who are struggling and I think it should be left as it is.”
“To be honest, I’ve never had an opinion about him whether he’s a good or bad MP, but there would probably be a lot of people who would generally agree with what he says. “He also stood up to Starmer about receiving gifts and entertainment, which doesn’t look good for him.”
However, there was also no shortage of evidence that Duffield was struggling to hold on to the seat he has held since 2017. In some ways, in a city with a university student presence, MPs’ local views were sometimes distorted across generations. It has been key to Labour’s success.
Now an independent, he has become the focus of speculation among some former Labor colleagues that he may eventually switch to Reform UK. “This seems like a journey he’s on and it’s probably going to suit them both,” a Labor MP said.
Following a media blitz at the weekend, Duffield was not giving interviews but told the Guardian: “I’m as unlikely to join Reformation as Jeremy Corbyn.”
A Labor source in Canterbury said they were disappointed and the 20,000 people who voted for him three months ago did not want to send an independent back to parliament.
Among those voters was Kate Tompsett, owner of the Happy and Gloious gift shop downtown. “There was definitely a longing for change. I wanted to vote for the Green party but I was worried that would split the vote so I supported him even though I disagreed with him on other issues.
“I also think he’s shouting too loudly about some things, so much so that it perhaps negates the need to speak on behalf of the city and its needs.”
These “things” included transgender rights. A long-time high-profile voice in the party criticizing gender equality, she described receiving threats for her stance and complained that she received little support from the party leadership.
But it broke the ice for younger Canterbury voters like Ethan Chuter, who said they would never vote for him again and how their male friend, a transgender person, was “celebrating” the Duffield department’s news.
“I think support for trans rights is a pretty big thing in our generation and shouldn’t be taken for granted,” she added.
Chuter’s partner, Gonçalo Alves, said his views on Duffield were “mixed.” “As a leftist, it would be preferable to have a Labor MP. But while following him on social media, expecting to see him talking about Canterbury-related issues and policies, I came across a majority of the tweets being entirely about transgender people.
“As I try to do my part as a voter to stay informed about the state of my city, I am faced with a barrage of tweets questioning the dignity and humanity of people like me.”
Such issues, while not front and centre, will likely be integral to Duffield’s future and who wins the seat at the next election.
While Labor has benefited from the influx of new residents – young professionals priced out of the London housing market, attracted by affordable properties and high-speed rail connectivity – its Conservative rivals have also pointed to tactical voting and Duffield’s own personality.
Re-elected with a growing majority in July – thanks in part to Reformation England eating into the Tory vote – Duffield’s own political wanderings may not be over yet.