Fresh calls for probe into Nadine Dorries’ failure to quit as MP

Standards watchdog urged to act, as second council claims she has ‘abandoned’ constituents

Nadine Dorries is facing a fresh push for a Westminster investigation into her failure to quit as an MP despite promising to do so three months ago.

The ex-Tory culture minister is under pressure to formally resign having pledged to leave back on 9 June over her failure to gain a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.

Unlock Democracy has 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 by delaying her exit and failing to turn up in parliament.

Standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg had previously rejected the demand for a formal probe – saying it was not clear that Ms Dorries’ actions had caused significant damage to parliament’s reputation.

But Unlock Democracy’s director Tom Brake has written to Mr Greenberg with the results of the survey of 2,000 people, which showed the majority of voters think she has damaged parliament, while only 22 per cent say she has not, and 23 per cent say they do not know.

Mr Brake said: “There is now undisputed evidence that Nadine Dorries, by threatening to stand down and then failing to do so, is causing significant damage to the reputation of the House of Commons. The standards commissioner must now set up an investigation into whether she has breached the code of conduct – the public expect nothing less.”

It comes as 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 was a staunch backer of Boris Johnson (PA)

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.

Shefford Town Council accused the senior Tory of an “aversion to attending local events or services”. It also claimed her absence was a “direct violation of the seven principles of public life”, the rules upon which standards governing MPs’ behaviour are based.

The arch Johnson loyalist was furious at failing to win a peerage in her former boss’ resignation honours – alleging that “posh boy” Rishi Sunak had blocked it.

She warned the PM that she will not formally quit until the government releases documents surrounding the decision to deny her the honour.

An online petition calling for Ms Dorries to quit her seat has gained more than 80,000 signatures. Amid frustration in her own party, Tory minister Robert Jenrick has also called on her to “get on” with her promise to quit parliament

Some Tory MPs expect her to quit when parliament returns in September, but others expect her to wait until later in the year before finally exiting parliament. Some fear she could try to cling on all the way to the general election, likely to be in autumn 2024.

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.

It emerged last month that Ms Dorries’ book on Mr Johnson’s “political assassination” is to be released just days before the Tory conference in the autumn.

The loyal ally of the former PM has announced a deal with HarperCollins to publish in late September – threatening to reopen old wounds at the party’s October conference in Manchester.