HarperCollins to publish Nadine Dorries’ book on Boris Johnson’s downfall

The former prime minister’s staunch ally claims to have uncovered a ‘fault line’ within the Conservative Party.

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries’ book, The Plot: The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson, is due to be published in September (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)

Nadine Dorries has written a book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson, due to be published in September days before the Tory Party conference.

The former prime minister’s staunch ally claims to have uncovered a “fault line” within the Conservative Party through conversations with cabinet ministers, civil servants and party officials which form the basis of her account.

The book, for which Ms Dorries received £20,500 as a partial advance from HarperCollins, is billed as the story of “treachery and deceit at the heart of the Westminster machine”.

It is set to hit the stands on September 28 – just three days before Conservatives convene for the annual party conference on October 1.

The former culture secretary said: “I had wanted to discover the forces behind the downfall of the prime minister. Instead, I found a fault line within the Conservative Party stretching back decades, and a history of deception fuelled by the darkest political arts.

“If you thought that power flowed from the people into Parliament, be prepared to think again.”

Ms Dorries was among eight Conservative parliamentarians recently rebuked for her conduct in relation to the Privileges Committee investigation of Mr Johnson.

The cross-party panel, which ultimately found Mr Johnson lied to MPs with his repeated denials of pandemic-era parties in Downing Street, accused his loyalists of a coordinated attempt to undermine its work.

The Privileges Committee ultimately triggered Mr Johnson’s resignation from Parliament in protest at its recommendation that he should face a lengthy suspension for misleading the Commons.

His supporters attacked the Labour-led but Tory-majority panel as a “witch hunt” and “kangaroo court” – with the former PM found to be complicit in the campaign.

Ms Dorries, perhaps Mr Johnson’s staunchest ally, has announced her intention to quit as an MP but is yet to do so formally as she seeks answers over the peerage she never received in his resignation honours list.

HarperCollins said The Plot aims to trace Mr Johnson’s rise to power with a landslide victory in the 2019 election to his prime ministerial downfall three years later.

The former prime minister was ultimately forced out of No 10 after losing the confidence of his party following a series of political crises.

Adam Humphrey, HarperNonFiction publisher, said: “Nadine’s unique vantage point, unparalleled access to sources, and innate storytelling ability will provide readers of The Plot with a rare opportunity to walk the corridors of power and understand the behind-the-scenes machinations of Westminster.

“The Plot is an urgent look at how our government really operates, and I look forward to it adding to the current political discourse.”

The Mid Bedfordshire MP was also raised on Wednesday at the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case confirmed that he had flagged communications between Ms Dorries and senior civil servants, sent after the Johnson loyalist was not named in the former prime minister’s resignation honours list, to the Commons Speaker and the Conservative chief whip.

Tory MP William Wragg asked the Cabinet Secretary if he was aware of “any rather forceful communications” sent by Ms Dorries “to senior civil servants” about potentially using “the platform of the Commons and indeed her own television programme to get to the bottom of why she hadn’t been given a peerage?”

Mr Case said: “Yes, was aware of those communications and have flagged them to both the chief whip and Speaker of the House.”

Asked if he had taken legal advice on whether the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 could “come into play”, the top civil servant said he was “seeking further advice on that question. So taken initial advice, but asked for more”.