Nadine Dorries’s resignation has triggered the 'most interesting by-election' for years, says former Tory insider
27 August 2023, 13:07 | Updated: 27 August 2023, 13:09
Paul Brand-Gavin Barwell
A former Tory insider said the upcoming by-election triggered by Nadine Dorries’s resignation offers the government a rare “glimmer” of hope.
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Unlike previous by-elections, Dorries’s seat will be hotly contested by both the Liberal Democrats and Labour, potentially splitting the anti-Conservative vote – according to Theresa May’s former Chief of Staff, Gavin Barwell.
Speaking with Paul Brand today, Barwell explained how this offers the government a “glimmer” of hope.
“In every other by-election we’ve had recently, it has been obvious to you and me who the challenger was,” said Brand.
“Whereas this time both the Liberal Democrats and Labour are going to go for it and there’s a chance, therefore, that the anti-conservative vote is split evenly and then [the Conservatives] may have a shout.
“This is the most interesting byelection that we’ve had in the last couple of years.”
A by-election will likely be held this autumn in the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire, following the resignation of its MP, Nadine Dorries on 25 August.
In other by-elections held this year, either the Liberal Democrats or Labour have stepped back from campaigning if one party suspected the other had a better chance of beating the Conservatives.
In June, though, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats ruled out such a pact in Mid-Bedfordshire.
“There is a lot of talk at Westminster,” continued Barwell, “that [Labour’s lead in the polls] is more to do with the unpopularity of the Conservatives than Starmer and Labour’s own popularity.
“If the Lib Dems can jump from third place and beat [Labour] in this by-election, that would slightly reinforce that story.”
Dorries, a staunch Boris Johnson ally, served in his cabinet as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
In a lengthy resignation letter, Dorries said she would be resigning with "immediate effect", telling Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, "history will not judge you kindly" and that he had "squandered the goodwill of the nation".
Her resignation followed months of pressure, with Shefford Town Council calling for her to stand down after the MP had not been seen in the House of Commons for over a year.
Dorries had originally said she would resign in early June, after Johnson’s nomination, to see her join the House of Lords, was blocked.
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