Honours List Drama: Nadine Dorries’ Timely Resignation Raises Eyebrows

Nadine Dorries’ Departure: A Convenient Move Prior to the Honours Revelation

Nadine Dorries has announced she is standing down with immediate effect.

In a calculated move that raises eyebrows and invites speculation, former Tory minister Nadine Dorries has made a consequential announcement—she is stepping down from her role as a Member of Parliament.

Dorries, who previously served as the culture secretary and enjoyed a close alliance with Boris Johnson, declared her resignation “with immediate effect,” citing the need for fresh leadership to take charge.

The announcement came with a short tweet:

“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,” she tweeted.

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 another to take the reins.

— Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP (@NadineDorries) June 9, 2023

Her decision ushers in the prospect of a by-election in her Mid-Bedfordshire constituency, where she currently holds a formidable majority of 24,664.

That means that Sunak now faces the risk of losing a true blue seat that has voted Tory since the Wall Street Crash of 1929. One MP on the right of the party has already told Steerpike that ‘If we lose that, it opens the question of Sunak’s leadership.’ Talk about a contest that couldn’t come at a worse time…

Initially, it was widely anticipated that Ms Dorries would be nominated for an honour and subsequently step down from her parliamentary position to accept a peerage. However, recent reports have suggested that she may have been unceremoniously dropped from the honours list to avoid the inconvenience of a by-election. When questioned about these reports, Dorries asserted, during her appearance on TalkTV, that causing a by-election in her constituency was the last thing she desired.

Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries says she “wasn’t involved” in a government unit to stifle lockdown dissent.

“I used it when Putin invaded Ukraine… It’s actually a desk with three people sat on it by the watercooler, it’s not a unit.”@Iromg | @NadineDorries pic.twitter.com/GihGeBPVcP

— TalkTV (@TalkTV) June 9, 2023

She further stated, “I don’t believe I will be going into the House of Lords any time soon,” casting doubt on the possibility of an imminent peerage. Notably, she revealed that she had not been contacted by anyone in 10 Downing Street regarding the honours list, dispelling any notions of prior communication or assurance.

However it may not come as a surprise to keen political observers, the timing of Dorries’ departure is worth noting. Her announcement conveniently precedes the imminent publication of Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list—a compilation that is eagerly anticipated.

Within the realm of political manoeuvring and the revolving door to the Lords, it appears that yet another unelected peer will soon be granted the power to shape the lives of millions across the United Kingdom, courtesy of the British taxpayer.

As the political landscape continues to shift any intrigue behind Nadine Dorries’ decision to step away from her parliamentary seat will vanish showing a strategy and calculated circumstances as the honours list is unveiled.

Update…

It seems Nadine Dorries’s resignation was down to sour grapes and the fact she did not get a peerage.

Dorries gave a bitter rebuke to her rejection stating: “There are people in the House of Lords without her ‘record of achievement’ but that they did go to Oxbridge
Nadine Dorries said there are people sitting in the House of Lords who do not have her “record of achievement” but that “they did go to Oxford or Cambridge”.

She told Talk TV: “There are many people sitting in the House of Lords who do not have the record of achievement that I have but they did go to Oxford or Cambridge and they do move in slightly different circles to me.”

She says she was born on the “poorest street in Britain” and that it would have been “unusual for someone from my background” to be ennobled in the House of Lords.

One of the reasons she hung on was because it would have been “amazing” for somebody from her background to be a peer, she said.

She has had “a number of conversations over the last 24 hours” with Boris Johnson, however, she has already started leaving Tory WhatsApp groups.

However true that may be, the fact is, her recent actions show she was only in it for herself. Nadine Dorries had no issues in deserting her constituents over the fact Boris Johnson rejected her.