Starmer challenges Sunak to force out Nadine Dorries: ‘Get a grip of this’

‘Do something about it,’ Labour leader tells PM on MP who promised to resign 10 weeks ago

Sir Keir Starmer has challenge Rishi Sunak to “force the issue” and push senior Tory Nadine Dorries to finally quit her seat.

The Labour leader said the former Tory culture secretary must leave parliament as promised because she had not been representing her Mid-Bedfordshire constituents “for a very, very long time”.

On 9 June Ms Dorries pledged to stand down immediately over her failure to gain a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list – but 10 weeks on, she has yet to formally resign.

Sir Keir said it was now up to Mr Sunak to make sure his MP not cling on any longer when parliament resumes at the start of September.

“I would say to Rishi Sunak, ‘Get a grip of this. This is one of your MPs. Do something about it. Force the issue and get on with it’,” he told LBC on Tuesday.

The Labour leader added: “I don’t know what her dictionary definition of resigning with immediate effect is – but 10 weeks after the event doesn’t sound like it to me.”

Ms Dorries has alleged that “posh boy” Mr Sunak blocked her peerage, and has warned the PM that she will not formally quit until the government releases documents surrounding the decision to deny her the honour.

But this week a second council in Ms Dorries’ constituency called for her to immediately step down – arguing that she had “abandoned the local area”.

Shefford Town Council has written to the MP and accused her of having “scant interest” in Mid-Bedfordshire. A similar call to quit came from Flitwick Town Council last month.

Nadine Dorries has prolonged byelection challenge for Sunak (PA Archive)

Unlock Democracy has also urged the standards commissioner to launch a probe into the senior Tory MP for Mid-Bedfordshire.

An Opinium survey commissioned by the campaign group also revealed that 55 per cent of voters believe Ms Dorries had caused “significant damage” to the Commons by delaying her exit and failing to turn up in parliament.

Ms Dorries last spoke in parliament more than a year ago. Her last written contribution was a ministerial statement almost a year ago, in early September 2022. And she last voted in the Commons in April.

Ms Dorries also faces a push from MPs to force her removal if she fails to go next month. Labour MP Chris Bryant says an 1801 rule preventing MPs from going “out of town without leave of the house” should be reinstated.

Henry Hill, the ConservativeHome website’s deputy editor, has suggested MPs could be asked to vote on a straightforward could a motion saying Ms Dorries should be expelled.

“There would be worse ways to restore his credibility as a new broom after the debacle of Boris Johnson’s resignation honours,” the senior Tory figure wrote.

Keir Starmer has been challenged over student fees (PA)

Meanwhile, Sir Keir has come under pressure to explain his stance on student fees after claiming he could not afford to go to university today.

The Labour leader – who dropped a commitment to scrap tuition fees earlier this year – said Labour was working on proposals for a new scheme.

He insisted he would put in place a “fairer” deal for students after saying his dream of attending university would be stopped “cold in its tracks” today due to the cost, but gave no details.

“I am not going to pretend that there isn’t huge damage to the economy and that has meant that some of the things that an incoming Labour government would want to do we are not going to be able to do in the way we would want,” he told host James O’Brien.

“But it doesn’t mean we are going to leave the current system as it is, because we want a fairer deal for students, a more effective deal for students and for universities.”