Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticises Nadine Dorries for failing her constituents at parliament

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised Nadine Dorries for not representing her constituents well enough, as the Tory MP remains in the job nearly two months after claiming she would quit.

Mr Sunak was quizzed about the Mid-Bedfordshire MP - who has not spoken in Parliament for 12 months - as he took part in a phone-in on LBC on Wednesday morning.

He said: “I think people deserve to have an MP that represents them wherever they are.

“It’s just making sure your MP is engaging with you, representing you, whether that’s speaking in Parliament or being present in their constituencies doing surgeries, answering your letters.

“That’s the job of an MP and all MPs should be held to that standard.”

Asked if that meant Ms Dorries was failing her constituents, Mr Sunak said: “Well, at the moment, people aren’t being properly represented.”

Former cabinet minister Ms Dorries announced her intention to quit as an MP on 9 June after she failed to receive a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, but is yet to do so formally.

A week later said she would stay on while she investigated why she was denied a seat in the House of Lords.

Last week she was told by a town council in her constituency to resign her parliamentary seat immediately.

Flitwick Town Council accused her of focusing more on her "political manoeuvres to embarrass the government” than her own constituents.

Ms Dorries is hosting a weekly chat show on Talk TV and has written a book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson, to be published days before the Conservative Party conference in September.

Mid Bedfordshire has been held by Ms Dorries since 2005 and the Conservative Party generally since 1931, but the Tories are wary of any electoral challenge as they lag far behind Labour in the polls.

Mr Sunak declined to say when he will trigger a general election, with the deadline being the end of January 2025.

But he hinted he could draw out the wait until later in 2024.

Asked on LBC whether he could go to the polls in the early half of next year, the Prime Minister said: “I wouldn’t like to speculate but, look, I’ve got a lot to get on with.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know