Nadine Dorries to stand down as MP with 'immediate effect' setting up tricky by-election for Rishi Sunak
9 June 2023, 15:57 | Updated: 9 June 2023, 16:41
Former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries to stand down as MP with 'immediate effect' triggering a by-election test for Rishi Sunak in her constituency.
Her departure comes amid fevered speculation she is in line for a peerage from close ally Boris Johnson, whose long-awaited honours list is expected shortly.
In a tweet, the Conservative MP said: "I have today informed the chief whip that I am standing down as the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, with immediate effect.
"It has been an honour to serve as the MP for such a wonderful constituency but it is now time for someone younger to take the reins."
Her resignation means there will be a by-election in her Mid Bedfordshire constituency, where she has a majority of 24,664.
However, polling suggests that even with a massive Tory majority, the seat could be vulnerable to tactical voting by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman said: "This is a rural seat in the heart of the Blue Wall, we are in it to win it."
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I have today informed the chief whip that I am standing down as the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, with immediate effect.
— Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP (@NadineDorries) June 9, 2023
It has been an honour to serve as the MP for such a wonderful constituency but it is now time for another to take the reins.
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According to The Times, Ms Dorries was scrapped from the honours list alongside former Cop26 president Alok Sharma due to fears of the damaging impact two by-elections could have on the Tories, who are flailing behind Labour in the polls.
The prospects of such an electoral test would be more challenging in Sir Alok's marginal Reading West constituency, where he has a 4,000-vote majority over Labour.
Ms Dorries had previously said she won't be contesting her seat at the next election.
She won the seat in 2005 and won 60 per cent of the vote at the 2019 general election, well ahead of Labour in second place on 22 per cent.
The Liberal Democrats came third on 13 per cent, while the Greens were fourth on 4 per cent.
She increased her majority in Mid Bedfordshire from 20,983 in 2017 to 24,664 in 2019, with a swing of 2.4 per cent from Labour to the Conservatives.
Dorries had been a defender of Boris Johnson throughout his time in Number 10 and has been a staunch critic of the current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Reports had suggested that both Dorries and her former Cabinet Minister colleague Alok Sharma had been taken off Mr Johnson’s 50-person list.
They had been expected to sit in the House of Lords which would have triggered the two by-elections. But their names were understood to have been resubmitted to the House of Lords Appointments Committee for vetting.
Dorries had been an MP for the area since 2005, and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for 12 months from September 2021.
