Page semi-protected

Nadine Dorries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Right Honourable
Nadine Dorries
MP
Official portrait of Ms Nadine Dorries crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2017
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Assumed office
15 September 2021
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byOliver Dowden
Minister of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety[a]
In office
27 July 2019 – 15 September 2021
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byJackie Doyle-Price
Succeeded byGillian Keegan[b]
Member of Parliament
for Mid Bedfordshire
Assumed office
5 May 2005
Preceded byJonathan Sayeed
Majority24,664 (38.1%)
Personal details
Born
Nadine Vanessa Bargery

(1957-05-21) 21 May 1957 (age 64)
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative[1]
Spouse(s)
Paul Dorries
​
​
(m. 1984, divorced)​
Children3
OccupationPolitician and author

Nadine Vanessa Dorries (née Bargery; born 21 May 1957)[2] is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Bedfordshire since 2005.

Born in Liverpool to a working-class family, Dorries began work as a trainee nurse and subsequently became a medical representative. During her early career, she spent a year in Zambia as the head of a community school. After returning to the UK, she founded Company Kids Ltd; which provided child day-care services for working parents. She sold the company in 1998.

Dorries was first elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election for the Conservative safe seat of Mid Bedfordshire. As a backbencher, she introduced several unsuccessful Private Member's Bills, including attempts to reduce the time limit for abortions in the UK and changes to the rules regarding counselling for the women involved, and the advocacy of sexual abstinence for girls in sex education. An opponent of John Bercow, she attempted to have him removed as Speaker of the House of Commons. She also clashed with David Cameron and George Osborne, describing them as "two arrogant posh boys". In 2012, the Conservative whip was suspended from Dorries after she took part in the reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! without informing the Chief Whip. The whip was returned to Dorries in 2013 and she was re-admitted to the parliamentary party.

In July 2019, Boris Johnson appointed Dorries as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care with responsibility for mental health, suicide prevention and patient safety and in May 2020 she was advanced as Minister of State. In Johnson's Cabinet reshuffle of September 2021, he promoted her as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Early life and career

Born Nadine Vanessa Bargery in Liverpool, her father was a bus driver who became a lift operator having suffered from Raynaud's disease.[3] Her father was a Roman Catholic of Irish descent, while her mother was an Anglican. She was brought up as a Protestant.[4] She was brought up in Anfield, Liverpool, and educated at Rose Heath Primary School[5] and Halewood Grange Comprehensive School,[6][7] before her family moved to Runcorn.[5] She grew up on a council estate. She entered nursing in 1975 as a trainee at Warrington General Hospital.[8]

According to an interview with The Times in 2014, Dorries' parents divorced during her adolescence. While training to be a nurse at 21, she shared a flat with her father. He died at the age of 42.[3] From 1978 to 1981, she was a nurse in Warrington and Liverpool according to a 2009 report.[9] Her CV when she was a parliamentary candidate in 2001 stated Liverpool and London as places where she worked as a nurse.[8] She left the Merseyside area after she married Paul Dorries, a mining engineer.

In 1982, Dorries became a medical representative to Ethicla Ltd for a year, before spending a year in Zambia (1983–84)[8] as the head of a community school, where her husband ran a copper mine.[10] She founded Company Kids Ltd[11] in 1987 which provided child day-care services for working parents. The company was sold in 1998 to BUPA;[11] Dorries was subsequently a director of the health provider during the following year.[8]

As Nadine Bargery, she was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Hazel Grove, near Manchester in spring 2000. Her candidacy split the constituency party, and she was briefly deselected in August[12] before being centrally imposed. Standing for the seat at the 2001 general election, she was unsuccessful in her attempt to succeed the Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Stunell, who retained the seat with a majority of 8,435 votes.[13] Dorries worked for three years[14] as a special adviser to Oliver Letwin, when Shadow Chancellor, to sort out his relations with the media amongst other things.[7]

Selection and all-women shortlists

In 2009, she gave this account of her 2005 selection:

Three weeks before the 2005 general election I, a council estate Scouser, was selected as the Conservative candidate to represent a southern rural constituency. Because the vacancy occurred so quickly and so close to D-day, the party provided my association with a shortlist of seventeen candidates, of which about five were women. Following a long day of interviews in hot sunny rooms, the list was whittled down to a shortlist of three ... I was informed that I had been selected outright on the first ballot ... That pride, that sense of achievement, the knowledge that I was selected on the basis of my performance and merit above all other candidates on that day is what enables me to hold my head up high in this place.[15]

Dorries' account of her own selection appears to contradict a news report which The Times ran at the time, reporting that Conservative Campaign Headquarters placed a majority of women on the shortlist and pressed for the selection of a female candidate:

Mrs Dorries, who has three teenage children, easily beat her 11 rivals and won the plum safe seat on the first ballot at the selection this weekend. Party officials were thrilled that the seat has gone to a woman. Previously, only two women had been selected in the 17 safe seats where sitting MPs have retired. Senior party figures had made clear to local dignitaries that they would like the seat to go to a woman and presented the constituency with a shortlist of seven women and five men to underline the point.[16]

In a debate on Woman's Hour, broadcast on 22 August 2001, Dorries (as Nadine Bargery) had advocated all-women shortlists if the behaviour of Conservative selection committees did not change.[17] In 2009 though, Dorries was highly critical of David Cameron's proposal to consider using all-women shortlists, arguing against a move which would create "two classes of MPs". She wrote that "Sometimes I feel sorry for some of the Labour women who were selected via all-women shortlists. Everyone knows who they are. They are constantly derided."[15]

Parliament of 2005–2010

Entering parliament

Dorries was elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election for the safe seat of Mid Bedfordshire on the retirement through ill health after a series of scandals of Jonathan Sayeed, with a majority of 11,355, and made her maiden speech on 25 May 2005.[18] She was re-elected in 2010, with an increased majority and a swing of 2.3% from the Lib Dems.[19]

Dorries, described as "a right-wing, working-class Conservative",[20] is a member of the socially conservative Cornerstone Group.[21] A Christian, she has said in an interview for a Salvation Army newspaper: "I am not an MP for any reason other than because God wants me to be. There is nothing I did that got me here; it is what God did. There is nothing amazing or special about me, I am just a conduit for God to use."[22] In 2008, she won The Spectator magazine's Readers' Representative Award.[23]

Dorries initially supported David Davis to become Conservative leader in 2005[24] later withdrawing her endorsement.[25] David Cameron, the successful candidate, though "represent[s] everything that through my life . . . [I have] been suspicious of."[26] In May 2007, she criticised Cameron for ignoring the recommendations of the Conservative public policy working group in favour of grammar schools.[27] However, she did defend the selection of Elizabeth Truss in 2009, whose Conservative candidature was called into question after an extra-marital affair was revealed.[28]

Dorries served as a member of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee, although by November 2008 she had attended only 2% of sessions.[29] The committee then reformed as the Science and Technology Select Committee; she did not attend a single session.[30] In 2010, she was elected to the Health Select Committee.[31]

Abortion time limits

Dorries says she witnessed "botched" abortions on two occasions,[10][32] an experience that influenced her campaign to lower the point during a pregnancy at which an abortion can be performed.[33]

On 31 October 2006, Dorries introduced a Private Member's Bill in the House of Commons, which would have reduced the time limit for abortion in Great Britain from 24 to 21 weeks; introduced a ten-day 'cooling-off' period for women wishing to have an abortion, during which time the woman would be required to undergo counselling; and accelerate access to abortion at the end of the cooling-off period.[34][35] Dorries said she had received death threats from activists and was given police protection.[35] Parliament voted by 187 to 108 to reject the bill.[36]

In May 2008, Dorries tabled an amendment to the proposed Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill seeking to reduce the upper limit for abortions to 20 weeks from the current 24 weeks of pregnancy. Reportedly written by Andrea Williams[37] then of The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship,[38] Dorries has denied that her campaigning on the abortion issue receives funding from Christian fundamentalist groups, although Dorries website for the "20 Reasons for 20 Weeks" campaign in 2008 was registered by Christian Concern For Our Nation (CCFON), another organisation with which Williams is involved; one of the pressure group's interns set up the website without charge to Dorries.[39] According to Guardian journalist Kira Cochrane it was the greatest challenge to women's abortion rights in nearly 20 years.[40]

Dorries' amendment was defeated by 332 votes to 190, with a separate 22-week limit opposed by 304 votes to 233. A majority of MPs continued to support the 24-week limit.[41] She said of her tactics on this issue in 2007: "If I were to argue that all abortions should be banned, the ethical discussions would go round in circles ... My view is that the only way forward is to argue for a reduction in the time limit ... it’s every baby’s right to have a life."[22]

Channel 4 documentary

In May 2008, Dorries featured in the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary "In God's Name". The programme examined the growing influence of Christian evangelical movements in the UK and highlighted the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship's involvement in lobbying the British Government on issues such as abortion, gay rights and the enforcing of laws relating to blasphemy.[42] The programme included footage of an LCF representative meeting with Dorries to influence policy on matters where they had a common agenda.[43][42]

Damian McBride email affair

In April 2009, Dorries stated that she had commenced legal action following the leaked publication of emails sent by Damian McBride, Prime Minister Gordon Brown's head of strategy and planning, which suggested spreading a rumour that Dorries had a one-night stand with a fellow MP, in an email to Derek Draper, a Labour-supporting blogger.[9][44][45] McBride resigned and Dorries denounced the accusation as libellous: "[t]he allegations regarding myself are 100 per cent untrue",[46] and demanded an apology[9] intent on exposing the Number 10 "cesspit".[47]

Brown subsequently said he was "sorry" and that he took "full responsibility for what happened".[48] Dorries threatened libel proceedings against McBride, Draper and Downing Street but did not carry out that threat. McBride paid Dorries an undisclosed sum, estimated at £1,000 plus £2,500 towards her costs.[49]

Expenses claims

In May 2009, The Daily Telegraph, as part of its exposure of MPs' expenses claims, questioned whether the property in Dorries' constituency, on which she claimed £24,222 additional costs allowance (for "secondary" housing costs), had been in fact her main or only home from 2007 onwards.[50] The newspaper also queried hotel bills including one for 'Mr N Dorries': these had been disallowed by the Fees Office and Dorries said they were submitted by mistake. On 22 May 2009, she spoke on BBC Radio 4 and drew parallels between the McCarthy 'Witch-Hunts' and the press's 'drip-drip' revelation of MP's expenses, eliciting David Cameron's public criticism.[51] She said everyone was fearing a 'suicide', and colleagues were constantly checking up on each other.[52] Later in the day her blog was taken down. It transpired that Withers, lawyers acting for the Barclay Brothers, the owners of the Daily Telegraph, had required the removal of the blog, on threat of libel action against the service provider.[53]

In January 2010, it was reported that Dorries was still being investigated by John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, regarding her claim for second home expenses[54] There was some debate as to the location of her main home.[55] It was also reported that Dorries had claimed £20,000 in office expenses for work undertaken by a media relations and public affairs company.[54]

High heels at work

In late 2009, Dorries campaigned against what she called "a proposal to ban the wearing of high heels in the office"[56] which was to be debated at the 2009 Trades Union Congress (TUC). The motion, submitted to the TUC by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, pointed out that "around two million days a year are lost through sickness as a result of lower limb disorders" and that "many employers in the retail sector force women workers to wear high heels as part of their dress code". It did not call for a ban on high heels at work, but rather called on employers to consider the health impact of their dress codes and encourage the wearing of healthy, comfortable shoes.[57]

Criticism of Speaker Bercow

Prior to John Bercow's election as Speaker of the House of Commons in June 2009, Dorries accused him of opportunism and disloyalty to the Conservative Party. She described his election as "a two-fingered salute to the British people from Labour MPs, and to the Conservative Party".[58] After Bercow's wife, Sally, was approved as a Labour parliamentary candidate and gave an interview about her personal life, Dorries argued that the Bercows were damaging the historic respect accorded to the office of Speaker.[59]

Benefit claimants

In February 2010 Dorries took part in the Channel 4 documentary series Tower Block of Commons, in which MPs stay with welfare claimants.[60]

In October 2010, Dorries suggested that benefit claimants who made more than 35,000 postings on Twitter should be reported to the Department for Work and Pensions. On being told by the Bedfordshire on Sunday newspaper that one of her constituents was out of work because of ill health and had posted more than 37,000 tweets, Dorries told the newspaper that her constituent's tweeting gave housebound disabled people a bad name.[61]

Parliament of 2010–2015

The Conservative Party returned to power in coalition with the Liberal Democrats following the 2010 general election. In 2012, she was voted best MP on Twitter by the politics.co.uk website.[62]

Bercow and Dorries' new expenses issues

She was reportedly part of a plot to oust John Bercow from the Speaker's chair in the run-up to the 2010 general election,[63] and, after the election, sent an email to all new MPs advocating his removal.[64]

On 9 May 2010, two days after being returned at the General Election for Mid Bedfordshire, The Sunday Times reported that Dorries was facing the first complaint about an MP's expenses claim of the new parliament. The newspaper reported that she had claimed around £10,000 for an annual report in 2007 on her performance as an MP, but that her former Commons researcher had never seen the report or worked on it.[65] Dorries insisted that she had indeed published the report, placing a photograph of it on her blog.[66] She subsequently told the Biggleswade Advertiser that the report was never printed and a credit note issued with refund on 13 September 2008.[67]

On 13 January 2011, it was reported by the Daily Mirror that police were investigating Dorries concerning her expenses. Three days later, The Sunday Times reported that police had since handed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration.[68] In February 2013, it was reported that Dorries was being investigated by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority over her expenses, although no specific details were given at this time.[69]

On 27 June 2013, Dorries announced she would no longer claim her personal expenses as an MP, but would draw on her salary for such costs. She argued that she would be in a better position to campaign for the abolition of the present expenses arrangements by doing so.[70] Dorries herself stood for election as a deputy speaker after one of the three posts became vacant. In the Commons vote during October 2013, she gained the support of 13 MPs, and was the first of the six candidates to be eliminated in the voting process.[71]

Blog

A complaint from the Liberal Conspiracy website, regarding Dorries' use of the House of Commons' Portcullis emblem on her blog, had been upheld in March 2008, on the basis that Dorries "gave the impression it had some kind of parliamentary endorsement or authority."[72]

On 21 October 2010, the MP's standards watchdog criticised Dorries for maintaining a blog which would "mislead constituents" as to how much actual time she was spending in her constituency. Dorries announced: "my blog is 70% fiction and 30% fact! It is written as a tool to enable my constituents to know me better and to reassure them of my commitment to Mid Bedfordshire. I rely heavily on poetic licence and frequently replace one place name/event/fact with another."[73] Referring to her main home being in Gloucestershire,[74] she said: "I have always been aware that should my personal domestic arrangements become the knowledge of my political opponents, they would be able to exaggerate that to good effect."[73]

She gave an explanation of the statement to her local newspaper, in which she said that her whereabouts on her blog had been disguised, on police advice, because of unwanted attention. She also said that she made the statement in order to protect her staff and family.[75]

On 27 October 2010, Dorries partially retracted her 70% fiction claim, posting a blog entry which stated that "It also only takes any individual with a smattering of intelligence to see that everything on the blog is accurate, because it is largely a record of real time events. It was only ever the perception of where I was on any particular day which was disguised."[76]

The conservative journalist Peter Oborne suggested, in his Daily Telegraph blog a fortnight later, that Cameron should have "ordered Mrs Dorries to apologise personally to her constituents, and stripped her of the party whip there and then."[77]

Abstinence advocacy for girls in sex education

On 4 May 2011, Dorries proposed a Bill to require that sex education in schools should include content promoting abstinence to girls aged 13–16, which was presented as teaching them "how to say no."[78] While sex education already mentions the option of abstinence, the bill would have required active promotion of abstinence to girls, with no such requirement in the education provided to boys. Owing to Dorries' claims about practices used in teaching about sex, Sarah Ditum in The Guardian accused Dorries of making Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) "sound like a terrifying exercise in depravity."[79]

The Bill drew criticism from healthcare and sex education professionals, questioning claims made during the Bill's reading.[80] Labour MP Chris Bryant described the Bill as being "the daftest piece of legislation I have seen".[81]

The Sexual Abstinence Bill was set for second reading on 20 January 2012 (Bill 185),[82] after she was granted leave to introduce the Bill on a vote of 67 to 61 on 4 May 2011.[83] The Bill, placed eighth on the order paper, was withdrawn shortly before its second reading.[84]

Abortion counselling

Dorries proposed amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 which would have blocked abortion services such as BPAS and Marie Stopes International from providing counselling services. She argued that these organisations had a vested financial interest in encouraging abortions,[85] but according to Zoe Williams "independent" counselling services could be "faith-based groups" intent on discouraging women from having an abortion.[86] David Cameron's government at first supported the proposal, but later changed its mind,[87] reportedly because then-Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was opposed to the change.[88]

Dorries' criticism of Cameron's policy shift was supported by some commentators such as Cristina Odone[89] who shares Dorries concerns.[90] Clegg's apparent opposition was, for Dorries, a means of "blackmailing our Prime Minister",[91] and a question regarding Lib Dems influence was the source of Cameron's description of Dorries as "extremely frustrated" at Prime minister's questions on 7 September.[92] Cameron was criticised by feminists[93] among others for the comment, and subsequently apologised.[94]

The issue of abortion counselling was debated in the Commons immediately following this incident. The motion was originally seconded by Labour MP Frank Field, but he withdrew his support after Health Minister Anne Milton intervened to suggest the Government would support the spirit of Dorries' amendment.[95] The amendment was lost by 368 votes to 118, a majority of 250.[96] Despite this, Dorries claimed a victory because of Milton's comments.[95]

Visit to Equatorial Guinea with other MPs

In August 2011, Dorries led the first delegation of Members of Parliament to Equatorial Guinea.[97] It is a small African country, but the third-biggest oil producer on the continent, ruled since 1979 by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. It has one of the worst human rights records on the continent.[98] She met the Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, Ignacio Milam Tang. She has been quoted as saying to him: "We are here to dispel some of the myths about Equatorial Guinea and also with humility to offer you help to avoid the mistakes we have made."[97] According to the official website of Equatorial Guinea, Dorries was one of nine MPs on the trip.[99]

Criticism of Cameron, Clegg and Osborne

On 6 March 2012, Dorries criticised David Cameron and Nick Clegg of the coalition government over their taxation policies. Referring to the proposed cuts in child benefit, she told the Financial Times "The problem is that policy is being run by two public schoolboys who don't know what it's like to go to the supermarket and have to put things back on the shelves because they can't afford it for their children's lunchboxes. What's worse, they don't care, either".[100] She again criticised Cameron, and also George Osborne, in similar terms on 23 April, calling them "two arrogant posh boys who don't know the price of milk – who show no remorse, no contrition and no passion to want to understand the lives of others".[101][102]

George Osborne said on The Andrew Marr Show on 6 May 2012: "Nadine Dorries, for the last seven years, I don't think has agreed with anything either myself, David Cameron, or indeed most Conservatives in the leadership of the party have done."[103] In the summer of 2012, Dorries criticised Osborne again for sending a badly briefed junior Treasury Minister, Chloe Smith, to deputise for him on Newsnight in order to defend a government u-turn on fuel duty.[104]

Same-sex marriage

Dorries opposed the Government's ultimately successful legislation to introduce same-sex marriage. In May 2012, on the Conservative Home website she wrote: "Gay marriage is a policy which has been pursued by the metro elite gay activists and needs to be put into the same bin [as reform of the House of Lords]".[105][106] In an interview with Mehdi Hasan in October 2012, Dorries said she favoured gay marriage, but only after Britain has left the European Convention on Human Rights.[107] In an exchange with Iain Dale around the same time, she speculated that the issue could cost her (then) party four million votes at the next general election.[108]

In February 2013, at the time of the Bill's second reading in the House of Commons, she argued that the Bill avoided the issue of consummation and thus contradicted the Marriages Act 1973, and therefore did not make gay marriage equal to heterosexual marriage.[109] She also argued that there was no provision for adultery, or faithlessness, as it might apply to gay couples because the term applies to heterosexual couples only.[110][111]

Reality TV and temporary suspension

Early in November 2012, it was announced that Dorries had agreed to appear in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.[112] Other Conservatives objected to her decision and her constituents were "overwhelmingly negative" on local radio.[113] Neither the Conservative Chief Whip, Sir George Young, nor the Chairman of the Mid Bedfordshire Conservative Association were informed of her absence from Parliament.[112][114] The Conservative Party suspended Dorries from the Party Whip on 6 November, after her confirmation that she was planning to be absent from Parliament.[115] John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, received a complaint about her behaviour.[116]

The series began on 11 November 2012, but on 21 November, Dorries became the first contestant to be voted off the show.[117][118] Dorries met George Young on 27 November, who asked her to rebuild her relationship with the party. She then sat as an independent MP, but continued to deny the whip had been withdrawn, stating it had merely been suspended.[119]

On 8 May 2013, Dorries regained the Conservative Whip without any conditions having been applied.[120] George Osborne reportedly objected to her regaining the parliamentary whip,[1][121] while commentators speculated that, should she not be readmitted, Dorries might join UKIP,[122][123][124] which had made gains from the Conservatives in the previous week's local elections.[123][125] Peter Oborne observed at this point that Dorries had still not declared the amount she was paid for her appearance on I'm a Celebrity... in the register of members interests, last published on 22 April, despite her promise to do so.[126]

Shortly after regaining the Whip, Dorries floated the idea of joint Conservative-UKIP candidates at the next general election in 2015, with herself as such a candidate.[127] "This is not party policy and it's not going to happen", a Conservative Party spokesman told the Press Association.[128][129]

Following the publication of a report by the Standards Committee[130] on 11 November 2013, Dorries apologised in the House of Commons to her fellow MPs for two errors of judgement.[131] Her confidentiality agreement with ITV over her fee for appearing on I'm A Celebrity... had led to her refusing to disclose the information to Kathryn Hudson, the parliamentary commissioner for standards. In so doing, she had broken the MP's code of conduct.[132] The all-party standards committee said that she should never have agreed to such a clause in her contract. In addition, Dorries had falsely claimed that payment for eight pieces of work in the media did not need to be declared as they were made to Averbrook, her company, rather than to herself directly.[131] Andy McSmith, writing in The Independent at the beginning of December 2013, said that Dorries had finally disclosed her income (amounting to £20,228 in total) from appearing on I'm a Celebrity... in the register of members' interests.[133]

Employment of family members

In 2013, Dorries' daughter was reportedly among the highest-earning family members employed by MPs with a salary of £40,000–45,000 as an office manager, even though her daughter lived 96 miles away from the office. Subsequently, Dorries' sister was taken on as "senior secretary" with a salary of £30,000–35,000.[134] In reply to an enquiry by Ben Glaze, Deputy Political Editor of the Daily Mirror, about the employment of her daughter, Dorries tweeted: “Be seen within a mile of my daughters and I will nail your balls to the floor… using your own front teeth. Do you get that?”[135]

Criticism of fellow Conservative MP

In October 2013, Dorries described a fellow Conservative MP, Kris Hopkins, as "one of parliament's slimiest, nastiest MPs" on her Twitter account, and criticised Prime Minister David Cameron's decision to promote Hopkins to a junior ministerial post within the Department for Communities and Local Government as "a really awful decision".[136]

Parliament of 2015–2017

A Conservative majority government was elected at the 2015 general election.

Election court petition

On 29 May 2015, the independent candidate in Mid Bedfordshire, Tim Ireland, lodged an appeal against the result accusing Dorries of breaches of Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 by making false statements about his character.[137][138] The development first emerged in early-June after the three-week petition for such an action had expired.[139] The petition was rejected by the High Court of Justice because it was served at Dorries' constituency office and not her home address.[140]

EU Customs Union

Buzzfeed reported that in October 2017 Dorries had become confused about her party's position on Brexit after talking with a politics teacher about a key element of her party's position, Britain's proposed exit from the European Union Customs Union. The EU Customs Union is an agreement between EU members not to impose tariffs (i.e. import taxes) on goods passing across their mutual borders. From a semi-private discussion that Buzzfeed made public, it was suggested that Dorries believed the UK could leave the EU but stay within the Customs Union whilst at the same time negotiating free trade deals with other countries. Later in December 2017 she tweeted: "If we stay in the Single Market and the Customs Union, we haven't left."[141]

Parliament of 2017–2019

Burka ban

In August 2018, Boris Johnson was criticised for a column that he had written in the Daily Telegraph. As part of an article discussing the introduction of a burka ban in Denmark, Johnson said that Muslim women who wore burkas "look like letter boxes" and the garment gave them the appearance of "bank robbers", although the point of the article was to condemn governments who tell 'a free-born adult woman what she may or may not wear, in a public place, when she is simply minding her own business'. Dorries, however, said that Johnson "did not go far enough", saying the burka should have no place in Britain and it was "shameful that countries like France and Denmark are way ahead of us on this".[142] On 7 August 2018, Dorries tweeted "No woman in a liberal, progressive society should be forced to cover up her beauty or her bruises."[143]

Brexit

In November 2018, Dorries, who was strongly in favour of Brexit, said of the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated between the UK Government and the EU27: "This is a very sad place to be, but unfortunately, the future of the country and of our relationship with Europe is at stake. This deal gives us no voice, no votes, no MEPs, no commissioner".[144]

Junior health minister

When Boris Johnson became prime minister in July 2019, Dorries was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety at the Department of Health and Social Care.[145]

Current Parliament (2019-present)

COVID-19 diagnosis

On 10 March 2020, Dorries became the first MP to be diagnosed with COVID-19. It is not known exactly when she contracted the disease, but it was reported that she had attended Parliament and visited 10 Downing Street before being required to self-isolate.[146][147]

Minister of State

In May 2020, Dorries was promoted to the ministerial rank of Minister of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety.[148]

On 14 May 2020, Dorries was criticised after she retweeted a doctored video from a far-right Twitter account which falsely claimed that Labour leader Keir Starmer obstructed the prosecution of grooming gangs while he served as Director of Public Prosecutions.[149]

In November 2020, she attracted media criticism after rejecting an offer of cross-party talks to discuss a mental health support package for frontline NHS and care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.[150][151]

In March 2021, Dorries defended the Government's 1% NHS pay-offer on the grounds that it would protect the financial support of those on furlough, stating that the "unprecedented" pressure on the UK's finances was behind the pay-offer.[152]

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

On 15 September 2021, Dorries was promoted as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport following Oliver Dowden's appointment as Conservative Party Co-Chairman.[153] She is a critic of the elitism in the BBC.[154] As Secretary of State, she wants to push for BBC reform.[155]

Dorries was criticised in the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee by John Nicolson due to her previous tweets towards LBC journalist James O'Brien.[156]

Author

It became public knowledge in September 2013 that Dorries had signed a three-book deal for a six-figure advance;[157][158] her first book was published the following April.[159]

Her first novel, The Four Streets, which draws on her Liverpool Catholic background,[3] became a No.1 best-selling e-book with 100,000 copies sold in the format by July 2014, although print sales in hardback and paperback were significantly lower with, respectively, 2,735 and 637 sales by then.[160] Dorries' work of fiction gained mostly negative reviews.[161]

Sarah Ditum in the New Statesman complained that some of the sentences "read like clippings from Wikipedia" while Christopher Howse, writing for The Daily Telegraph, thought The Four Streets was "the worst novel I've read in 10 years."[162][163] "You should read the next one. It’s much better", Dorries told Ann Treneman of The Times.[3]

However, her books have since gained high ratings on GoodReads, with several above 4.5/5.

Personal life

She married Paul Dorries and the couple had three daughters. The couple separated in 2007 and subsequently divorced; he had multiple sclerosis and she said they had reached "entirely different stages in our lives".[164] She is a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club.[165] She has said that her great-grandfather, George Bargery, was one of the founders of Everton Football Club.[10]

Honours

Notes

  1. ^ Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (2019–20)
  2. ^ As Minister of State for Care and Mental Health.

References

  1. ^ a b Isabel Hardman "Exclusive: Nadine Dorries reinstated as a Tory MP" Archived 10 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator (blog), 8 May 2013
  2. ^ Gimson, Andrew (11 November 2012). "Nadine Dorries: brave Tory rebel or a self-serving stunt woman?". The Observer. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Treneman, Ann (5 April 2014). "The contradictory Nadine Dorries". The Times magazine. London. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.(subscription required)
  4. ^ Lewis, Roz (8 March 2015). "Nadine Dorries: My family values". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Great grandfather George was Everton's first goalkeeper". Liverpool Daily Post. Liverpool: Trinity Mirror. 19 April 2008. p. 7. Retrieved 30 January 2010.[dead link]
  6. ^ http://www.halewoodcollege.co.uk Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine The school is now .
  7. ^ a b Meg Carter "The art of spinning: From PR to Parliament", Archived 19 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine The Independent, 8 January 2007), p. 8
  8. ^ a b c d Candidate: Nadine Bargery, Conservative, Hazel Grove Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, UK General Election 2001
  9. ^ a b c Tory MP Demands Apology Archived 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Liverpool Echo, 14 April 2009.
  10. ^ a b c Roya Nikkhah "The Tories' Nadine Dorries: Bridget Jones, MP", Archived 17 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine Daily Telegraph, 4 November 2007
  11. ^ a b Anthony, Andrew (31 October 2021). "'She often speaks without thinking': Nadine Dorries, our new minister for culture wars". The Observer. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Tories in seat fight 'shambles'" Archived 11 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Manchester Evening News, 3 October 2000
  13. ^ "General Election results, 7 June 2001" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  14. ^ "The world according to Nadine Dorries", Archived 1 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Daily Telegraph, 4 November 2007, citing Dorries blog
  15. ^ a b Nadine Dorries, all-women shortlists will create two classes of Conservative MP Archived 28 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, ConservativeHome (21 October 2009).
  16. ^ Rosemary Bennett and Helen Rumbelow "Tory joy as ex-nurse is picked for safe seat", The Times, 4 April 2005. This passage is reproduced by 'Unity' "So how did Nadine Dorries MP get selected?", Archived 18 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Liberal Conspiracy, 27 October 2009
  17. ^ "Tory women-only shortlists", Archived 28 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine Woman's Hour, 22 August 2000. RealPlayer file.
  18. ^ Hansard Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine at parliament.uk
  19. ^ "BBC Election 2010 results website". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  20. ^ Ian Hernon "MPs face tough vote on lowering abortion limit", Liverpool Echo 22 March 2008, p. 16
  21. ^ Dorries (9 February 2007). Blog entry dated 9 February 2007. Retrieved from http://www.dorries.org.uk/Blog.aspx Archived 8 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ^ a b Nigel Bovey "MP Calls For Lower Abortion Time Limit", Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine The War Cry, No.6812, 2 June 2007, p.4-5
  23. ^ "Parliamentarian of the Year Awards Recipients 2008". The Spectator. 20 November 2008. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  24. ^ George Jones and Brendan Carlin "Davis surges ahead in race to be Tory leader", Archived 9 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Daily Telegraph, 7 July 2005
  25. ^ George Jones "Poll shows Cameron is runaway choice", Archived 9 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Daily Telegraph, 20 October 2005
  26. ^ "10 people Dave should fear: Nadine Dorries", Archived 3 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine New Statesman, 25 February 2010
  27. ^ "Cameron set for clash over grammars". Ananova.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  28. ^ Nadine Dorries "Liz Truss case not typical of Tories" Archived 23 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian (Comment is Free), 17 November 2009
  29. ^ "Revealed: The MPs who skip select committee" Archived 12 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Politics.co.uk, 8 April 2009
  30. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. ^ Robbins, Martin (26 June 2010). "Conservatives put Dumb and Dumber on the health select committee". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  32. ^ See also Ann Treneman "Nadine is Queen for the Day as her marem looks adoringly on", The Times, 21 May 2008
  33. ^ Nadine Dorries reveals her Bridget Jones moment, Metro, 29 October 2008
  34. ^ "Hansard, House of Commons, 31 October 2006". Archived from the original on 15 October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  35. ^ a b 'Nadine Dorries, the anti life MP who Campaigned for Tighter Abortion Limits, Receives Death Threats', Bedfordshire on Sunday (12 November 2006).
  36. ^ Retrieved from http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/files/guide_to_nadine_dorries_tmrb.pdf Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  37. ^ Williams accepts the "fundamentalist" label, see David Modell "Dispatches: Making a giant leap of faith", Archived 29 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine The Independent, 19 May 2008
  38. ^ David Modell "Christian fundamentalists fighting spiritual battle in Parliament", Archived 20 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Daily Telegraph, 17 May 2008
  39. ^ Hundal, Sunny (24 April 2010). "The right hand of God". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  40. ^ Cochrane, Kira (19 May 2008). "The end of choice?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  41. ^ "Politics: MPs back 24-week limit". BBC News. 20 May 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  42. ^ a b David Modell (17 May 2008). "Christian fundamentalists fighting spiritual battle in Parliament". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  43. ^ David Modell (19 May 2008). "Dispatches: Making a giant leap of faith". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  44. ^ Hinsliff, Gaby; Tran, Mark (12 April 2009). "McBride and Draper emails: 'Gents, a few ideas'". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  45. ^ Hennessy, Patrick (25 April 2009). "Tory MP Nadine Dorries to sue over No10 emails". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
  46. ^ Nadine Dorries "I have become accustomed to the grubby world of British politics. But nothing could prepare me for this", Archived 3 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Independent, 13 April 2009
  47. ^ "Tory MP targeted in 'smeargate' emails wins damages from No 10 adviser", Archived 18 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine Daily Telegraph, 29 November 2009
  48. ^ Andrew Sparrow, "Gordon Brown says sorry for Damian McBride email smears" Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 16 April 2009
  49. ^ Hélène Mulholland, et al "Tory MP Nadine Dorries 'has won damages from Damian McBride'" Archived 12 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 30 October 2009
  50. ^ Beckford, Martin (15 May 2009). "Tory MP Nadine Dorries admits she only spends weekends and holidays in her main home". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 18 May 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  51. ^ Mulholland, Hélène (22 May 2009). "Cameron rebukes Tory MP over 'McCarthyite witch-hunt' comment". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  52. ^ "MP's fears of expenses 'suicide'" Archived 25 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 22 May 2009.
  53. ^ Gaby Hinsliff, Telegraph lawyers shut down Tory MP's blog Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian. (23 May 2009).
  54. ^ a b .Swaine, Jon (15 January 2010). "MPs' expenses: Nadine Dorries under investigation by sleaze watchdog". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  55. ^ Swaine, Jon (23 January 2010). "MPs' expenses: Nadine Dorries's neighbours to give evidence over second home claims". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  56. ^ Nadine Dorries (6 August 2009). "High Heels". Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  57. ^ Trades Union Congress. "Nominations and motions for the 141st annual Trades Union Congress 14–17 September, Liverpool" (PDF). Trades Union Congress. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  58. ^ "The John Bercow story". BBC News. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  59. ^ "Sally Bercow reveals past full of binge-drinking and one-night stands". The Times. London. 3 December 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  60. ^ "Tower Block Of Commons, Series 1". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  61. ^ Keeley Knowles "Blogger’s upset at MP’s Twitter claims", Archived 13 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Bedfordshire on Sunday, 10 October 2010
  62. ^ Dunt, Ian (15 May 2012). "The Ten Best MPs on Twitter: One – Nadine Dorries". politics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  63. ^ James MacIntyre (7 January 2010). "Speaker cornered". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  64. ^ The email is cited by Peter Hoskin "Nadine Dorries' Kill Bercow email". Archived 25 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator (blog), 18 May 2010.
  65. ^ "£10,000 claim makes Tory the first MP in an expenses row". timesonline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  66. ^ The Blog of Nadine Dorries. Post entitled 2007, posted Saturday, 24 April 2010 at 16:39.[1] Archived 16 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  67. ^ Biggleswade Advertiser, 12 May 2010.
  68. ^ Claire Newell & Jonathan Calvert (16 January 2011). "Six MPs face new fraud allegations". Sunday Times.
  69. ^ Jones, Sam (15 February 2013). "Nadine Dorries under investigation over expenses claims". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  70. ^ "Nadine Dorries to stop claiming parliamentary expenses". Archived 30 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 27 June 2013.
  71. ^ "Conservative MP Eleanor Laing elected deputy Speaker". Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 16 October 2013.
  72. ^ Cath Elliott, "Nadine Dorries's trouble with the truth". Archived 28 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian (Comment is Free website), 22 October 2010.
  73. ^ a b Press Association, "Nadine Dorries says her MP's blog was '70% fiction'". Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian (website), 21 October 2010.
  74. ^ Jon Swaine, "MPs’ expenses: Nadine Dorries says 'main home' is tiny Cotswold cottage". Archived 20 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Telegraph, 19 March 2010.
  75. ^ "MP rues claims of website blog 'fiction'". Archived 26 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Bedfordshire on Sunday, 24 October 2010.
  76. ^ "Nadine Dorries says her MP's blog was '70% fiction'". Archived 30 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine, The blog of Nadine Dorries (blog), 27 October 2010.
  77. ^ Peter Oborne, "Our Parliament is rotten to the core", Daily Telegraph (blog), 12 November 2010.
  78. ^ Graeme Paton, "Teach schoolgirls to say 'no to sex', Tory MP says". Archived 16 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine Daily Telegraph, 24 May 2011.
  79. ^ Sarah Ditum, "Nadine Dorries's abstinence bill is a definite no-no". Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian, 5 May 2011.
  80. ^ Martinson, Jane (4 May 2011). "Nadine Dorries and sex education lessons for girls". The Guardian. London, UK. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  81. ^ Morris, Nigel (5 May 2011). "MP: Teach girls virtues of virginity". The Independent. London, UK. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  82. ^ "Sex Education (Required Content)", theyworkforyou.com, 4 March 2011, citing Hansard.
  83. ^ "Sex Education (Required Content) Bill — 4 May 2011 at 12:47". Archived 8 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  84. ^ Jessica Shepherd and Paul Owen, "Nadine Dorries's sexual abstinence lessons bill withdrawn". Archived 11 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, guardian.co.uk, The Guardian, 20 January 2012.
  85. ^ Nadine Dorries "I want to introduce more choice for those seeking abortion, not less". Archived 31 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 13 July 2011.
  86. ^ Zoe Williams "Abortion advice from Nadine Dorries is classic backstreet politics". Archived 31 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 31 August 2011.
  87. ^ Polly Curtis "Downing Street forces U-turn on Nadine Dorries abortion proposals", Archived 31 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 31 August 2011.
  88. ^ Laura Donnelly and Ben Leapman "How the row over abortion advice for women led to bitter political infighting". Archived 20 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Telegraph, 3 September 2011.
  89. ^ Cristina Odone "David Cameron is wrong about abortion counselling. He should have supported Nadine Dorries's plan". Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph (blog), 1 September 2011.
  90. ^ Cristina Odone "Abortion is about money as well as morals", Daily Telegraph, 29 August 2011.
  91. ^ Joe Churcher and David Hughes (PA), "Lib Dem 'blackmail' on abortion bid", The Independent, 7 September 2011.
  92. ^ Hélène Mulholland "Nadine Dorries storms out of PMQs after David Cameron quip". Archived 31 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian, 7 September 2011.
  93. ^ See Madeleine Bunting "Has the Nadine Dorries incident shown us the real David Cameron?", Archived 31 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 8 September 2011, and Barbara Ellen, "Frustrated? Yes, with you being a boor, Dave". Archived 31 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Observer, 11 September 2011.
  94. ^ "David Cameron says sorry to 'frustrated' Nadine Dorries". 8 September 2011 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  95. ^ a b Nicholas Watt "Nadine Dorries's abortion proposals heavily defeated in Commons". Archived 21 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian, 7 September 2011.
  96. ^ "Nadine Dorries amendment to health bill debated". Archived 8 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 7 September 2011.
  97. ^ a b Ian Birrell "The strange and evil world of Equatorial Guinea". Archived 5 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Observer, 23 October 2011.
  98. ^ "Equatorial Guinea profile". Archived 16 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 8 May 2018. Retrieved on 7 January 2019.
  99. ^ "Guinée équatoriale : Une députée britannique à Malabo". france-guineeequatoriale.org. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  100. ^ "Lib Dems and Tories wrangle over taxes". Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Financial Times (ft.com), 6 March 2012.
  101. ^ "MP Dorries calls PM and chancellor 'arrogant posh boys'". Archived 2 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 23 April 2012.
  102. ^ James Orr, "Nadine Dorries: David Cameron and George Osborne are just 'arrogant posh boys'". Archived 20 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph, 23 April 2012.
  103. ^ "George Osborne on Nadine Dorries' no confidence call". Archived 11 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 6 May 2012; transcript from Andrew Sparrow "Nadine Dorries dismissed as serial rebel over resignation comments". Archived 10 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 6 May 2012.
  104. ^ "Nadine Dorries attacks 'submarine Chancellor'". The Sunday Times. London. 1 July 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.(subscription required).
  105. ^ Nadine Dorries "Nadine Dorries MP: Jettison Lords reform; Jettison gay marriage; and focus on jobs, crime and household bills". Archived 22 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Conservative Home, 6 May 2012.
  106. ^ David Skelton, "I'm Sorry, Dr Fox – Gay Marriage Isn't Just a "Metropolitan Elite" Issue". Archived 18 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Huffington Post, 15 June 2012.
  107. ^ Mehdi Hasan "The Nadine Dorries Interview: On Abortion, Gay Marriage And Why She Wants 'Revenge' Against Cameron And Osborne". Archived 29 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, The Huffington Post, 31 October 2012.
  108. ^ "Gay marriage: Nadine Dorries and Iain Dale on Tory views". Archived 11 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 30 October 2012.
  109. ^ Corinne Pinfold "Nadine Dorries: The same-sex marriage bill is 'political suicide' and it won't make gay couples equal". Archived 13 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Pink News, 4 February 2013.
  110. ^ "Gay marriage debate in quotes". Archived 2 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine, guardian.co.uk, 6 February 2013.
  111. ^ Thomas Duggins, "Adultery and the same-sex marriage bill" Archived 16 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator (blog), 13 February 2013.
  112. ^ a b Hélène Mulholland, "Tory party suspends Nadine Dorries". Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 6 November 2012.
  113. ^ Andy McSmith "A new low in parliamentary history? Serving Conservative MP Nadine Dorries takes time out to appear reality television show I'm a Celebrity...", The Independent, 6 November 2012. See also "I'm a Celebrity: MP Nadine Dorries' constituents' views". Archived 30 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 6 November 2012.
  114. ^ Andrew Thorpe-Apps, "Fad Nad Dorries: How celebrity can go to an MP's head". Archived 8 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Backbencher, 8 November 2012.
  115. ^ "Nadine Dorries suspended as Tory MP in I'm a Celebrity row". Archived 8 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 6 November.
  116. ^ Hélène Mulholland, "Nadine Dorries TV appearance rouses parliamentary watchdog". Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian, 8 November 2012.
  117. ^ David Batty, "Nadine Dorries voted off I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here". Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 22 November 2012.
  118. ^ Busk-Cowley, Mark (2014). I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!: The Inside Story. Bantam Press. p. 140. ISBN 978-0593073483.
  119. ^ Hélène Mulholland, "Nadine Dorries kept waiting for Tory whip to be restored". Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 27 November 2012.
  120. ^ "Nadine Dorries reinstated as Conservative MP". Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 8 May 2013.
  121. ^ George Eaton,"Nadine Dorries's readmission shows Cameron is running scared of UKIP". Archived 28 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, New Statesman, 8 May 2013.
  122. ^ George Eaton, "Could Nadine Dorries defect to UKIP?". Archived 8 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, New Statesman, 3 May 2013.
  123. ^ a b Cathy Newman, "How do you solve a problem like Nadine Dorries?". Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, telegraph.co.uk, 7 May 2013.
  124. ^ "The Mole", "Tories forced to re-embrace 'Mad Nad' Dorries after UKIP threat". Archived 10 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The Week, 8 May 2013.
  125. ^ Andy McSmith, "After Ukip pain, Tories tread gently around Nadine Dorries". Archived 11 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, 7 May 2013.
  126. ^ Peter Oborne, "How much did you earn in the jungle, Nadine Dorries?". Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, telegraph.co.uk (blog), 8 May 2013.
  127. ^ Isabel Hardman, "Nadine Dorries interview: why I want to run as a UKIP-Tory joint candidate". Archived 3 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Spectator, 18 May 2013.
  128. ^ PA, "Nadine Dorries may stand for election as joint Tory-Ukip candidate". Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, guardian.co.uk, 15 May 2013.
  129. ^ Rowena Mason, "Nadine Dorries would be kicked out of Tories again if she stood on joint Ukip ticket" Archived 11 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, telegraph.co.uk, 15 May 2013.
  130. ^ "Standards Committee – Fourth Report: Nadine Dorries". Archived 30 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine, House of Commons, 8 October 2013.
  131. ^ a b Rowena Mason, "Nadine Dorries apologises to MPs over I'm a Celebrity appearance fee". Archived 5 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 11 November 2013.
  132. ^ "MP Nadine Dorries apologises over registering TV fees". Archived 24 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 11 November 2013.
  133. ^ Andy McSmith, "Nadine Dorries reveals humiliation pays, but not as much as we thought it did". Archived 25 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, 2 December 2014.
  134. ^ "MPs' expenses surpass pre-scandal levels as 150 give jobs to family". The Daily Telegraph. 13 September 2013. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  135. ^ Boyle, Darren (24 November 2013). "Tory MP tells Sunday Mirror reporter 'I'll nail your balls to the floor' in Twitter rant". Press Gazette.
  136. ^ Kevin Rawlinson "Nadine Dorries launches Twitter attack on promoted Tory MP". Archived 17 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, theguardian.com, 8 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  137. ^ Green, Chris (10 June 2015). "Nadine Dorries faces challenge after general election smear campaign allegations". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  138. ^ Perraudin, Frances (10 June 2015). "Nadine Dorries accused of making false claims about opponent during election". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  139. ^ Pidd, Helen (4 June 2015). "Deadline expires for legal challenge over George Galloway election defeat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  140. ^ Green, Chris (30 July 2015). "High Court rejects attempt to unseat Nadine Dorries after legal documents sent to wrong address". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  141. ^ "Here's A Leaked WhatsApp Chat Showing Tory Leavers' Confusion About One Of Their Key Brexit Demands". Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  142. ^ "Conservative chairman calls for apology from Boris Johnson over burka remarks". BT News. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  143. ^ "Nadine Dorries on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  144. ^ Drury, Colin (27 November 2018). "Leave-voting MP Nadine Dorries slams May's Brexit deal because UK won't have seats in European parliament". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  145. ^ Shepherd, James (29 July 2019). "New health ministers appointed by incoming prime minister". Nursing Times. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  146. ^ "Health minister tests positive for coronavirus". BBC News. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  147. ^ "Health minister Nadine Dorries diagnosed with coronavirus". 10 March 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  148. ^ Dorries, Nadine (5 May 2020). "Honoured and thrilled to have been promoted today by BorisJohnson to Minister of State at DHSCgovuk where we are all working together in the battle against COVID19 Inthistogether StayHomeSaveLives". Twitter. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  149. ^ Walker, Peter (14 May 2020). "No 10 refuses to condemn Tory MPs who shared doctored Keir Starmer video". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  150. ^ Zorzut, Adrian (3 November 2020). "Nadine Dorries rejects mental health cross-party talks by telling Labour to 'win an election'". The New European.
  151. ^ "Minister refuses to meet Labour counterpart EIGHT times during Commons exchange". www.standard.co.uk. 3 November 2020.
  152. ^ "Nadine Dorries Claims Protecting 'Husband's' Pay Will Help Nurses 'Understand' 1% NHS Pay Rise". Politics Home. 11 March 2021.
  153. ^ "Nadine Dorries appointed culture secretary in reshuffle". The Guardian. 15 September 2021.
  154. ^ Chopper’s Politics podcast LIVE from the Conservative Party Conference: Nadine Dorries, archived from the original on 13 December 2021, retrieved 12 October 2021
  155. ^ "Nadine Dorries: New culture secretary says BBC needs real change". BBC News. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  156. ^ Crace, John (23 November 2021). "See-nothing, say-nothing Nadine Dorries tests her powers of self-censorship". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  157. ^ "Nadine Dorries signs 'six figure' book deal" Archived 8 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 13 September 2013
  158. ^ Daisy Wyatt "Nadine Dorries wins six figure book deal" Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, 13 September 2013
  159. ^ Matthew Holehouse "Holy Mary, Nadine Dorries' new book will be a best seller" Archived 21 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Telegraph, 3 April 2014
  160. ^ Alison Flood "Nadine Dorries' novel The Four Streets reaches No 1 in the charts" Archived 21 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 9 July 2014
  161. ^ McSmith, Andy (10 April 2014). "Nadine Dorries's novel has received caustic reviews – but don't write off every MP turned author". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  162. ^ Sarah Ditum "Begorrah! Nadine Dorries’ The Four Streets is a bad novel, riddled with Shamrockese" Archived 19 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, New Statesman, 19 April 2014
  163. ^ Christopher Howse "The Four Streets by Nadine Dorries, review: 'the worst novel I've read in 10 years'" Archived 15 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph, 8 April 2014
  164. ^ Andrew, Gimson (11 November 2012). "Nadine Dorries: brave Tory rebel or a self-serving stunt woman?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  165. ^ 'Tory MP Demands Apology', Liverpool Echo (14 April 2009), p. 3.
  166. ^ "ORDERS APPROVED AND BUSINESS TRANSACTED AT THE PRIVY COUNCIL HELD BY THE QUEEN AT BALMORAL ON 20TH SEPTEMBER 2021" (PDF). Privy Council Office. Retrieved 23 November 2021.

External links


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire
2005–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
2021–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""