Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Why hasn’t Nadine Dorries resigned yet?

Nadine Dorries has this evening explained why she isn’t yet resigning as an MP, after she initially quit ‘with immediate effect’ last Friday. The Mid Bedfordshire MP had gone mysteriously quiet after her announcement, prompting Downing Street to suggest that she was letting her soon-to-be-former constituents down. She has now revealed that she is waiting for a subject access request to the House of Lords Appointment Committee, Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Office. 

I understand from friends of Dorries that she is ‘desperate to resign’ and is upset about having to remain in place while she waits for the subject access request to be returned, but that a lawyer in her constituency approached her and advised her that she may need access to parliamentary privilege with the results of that investigation. She has requested all WhatsApp and text messages, minute of meetings and emails relating to her possible inclusion on the nominations list for a peerage, after conflicting accounts emerged of who blocked it and who was told what and when. 

My personal hunch is that this stand-off with Nadine Dorries could have been avoided

There is talk of a campaign from Boris Johnson and his supporters to get at Rishi Sunak.

Isabel Hardman
Written by
Isabel Hardman
Isabel Hardman is assistant editor of The Spectator and author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians. She also presents Radio 4’s Week in Westminster.

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