Sunak suggests Dorries is failing her constituents as Tory MP clings on

The former culture secretary has not formally quit despite saying she would go with ‘immediate effect’ in June.

Nadine Dorries has still not formally stood down as Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire despite announcing in June that she would quit with ‘immediate effect’ (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)

Rishi Sunak has accused Conservative MP Nadine Dorries of failing her constituents as he hinted that a general election will not come until late next year.

The Prime Minister said the former culture secretary’s voters “aren’t being properly represented” because she has not spoken in the Commons for more than 12 months.

Ms Dorries announced in June that she was resigning with “immediate effect” after she failed to receive a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.

But she is yet to stand down formally and has clung on to her role as MP for Mid Bedfordshire despite being urged by a town council in the area to go.

At the moment people aren’t being properly represented

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Mr Sunak told an LBC call-in: “I think people deserve to have an MP that represents them, wherever they are.

“It’s just making sure your MP is engaging with you, representing you, whether that’s speaking in Parliament or being present in their constituencies doing surgeries, answering your letters.

“That’s the job of an MP and all MPs should be held to that standard.”

Asked if that means Ms Dorries is failing her constituents, Mr Sunak said: “Well, at the moment people aren’t being properly represented.”

After announcing her departure, the arch-ally of Mr Johnson then said she would stay on while investigating why she was denied a seat in the House of Lords.

Meanwhile, Ms Dorries is hosting a weekly chat show on Talk TV and has written a book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson, to be published days before the Conservative Party conference in September.

The Mid Bedfordshire has been held by Ms Dorries since 2005 and the Conservative Party generally since 1931, but the Tories are wary of any electoral challenge as they lag far behind Labour in the polls.

Mr Sunak declined to say when he will trigger a general election, with the deadline being the end of January 2025.

But he hinted he could draw out the wait until later in 2024.

Asked on LBC whether he could go to the polls in the early half of next year, the Prime Minister said: “I wouldn’t like to speculate but, look, I’ve got a lot to get on with.”

Peter Kyle, the MP leading Labour’s campaign in Mid Bedfordshire, said: “If Rishi Sunak is so concerned that people in Mid Beds aren’t being properly represented, he should show some leadership and tell Nadine Dorries to step aside.

“He is once again showing that he’s too weak to lead a Conservative Party which is too divided to govern the country.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper repeated demands for Ms Dorries to stand down.

“When your own Prime Minister says you aren’t doing your job properly, it really is time to go,” she said.

“There is real anger on the doorsteps in Mid Bedfordshire from former lifelong Conservative voters who are switching to the Liberal Democrats.

“Families are facing soaring bills and are finding it almost impossible to get a GP appointment, while this Government is wrapped up in sleaze and the Conservatives’ MP is nowhere to be seen.”

Both Labour and the Lib Dems scent a chance to snatch the Tory safe seat.

Ms Dorries held it in 2019 by 24,664 votes over second-placed Labour, but the Lib Dems hope they can continue a run of four by-election wins under leader Sir Ed Davey.