Absentee Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries 'should just go', says Sir Keir Starmer

Absentee MP Nadine Dorries “should just go”, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as calls mounted from her constituents for her to stand down.

Conservative former minister Ms Dorries said in June she would leave her parliamentary seat with “immediate effect” after not getting a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.

But the Mid Bedfordshire MP is yet to resign, and several local councils in her constituency have called for her to go over what they see as a “continuing lack of representation”.

A by-election would be triggered in the traditionally safe Tory seat if Ms Dorries were to stand down.

Sir Keir has weighed in on the future of the seat, claiming Mid Bedfordshire needs “an MP who will actually stand up for them”.

Asked about Ms Dorries by LBC, the Labour leader said: “I think she should just go. I have been in Mid Bedfordshire talking to some of her constituents.”

He added: “We have got Peter Kyle who is the MP for Brighton (Hove), he is our political lead in Mid Bedfordshire and he is doing more work than Nadine Dorries up there.”

Sir Keir went on: “But she said she would resign with immediate effect. I don’t know what her dictionary definition of immediate effect is, but 10 weeks after the event doesn’t seem to be immediate effect.

“She has got to go, give Mid Bedfordshire an MP who will actually stand up for them, fight for them, because at the moment she is absolutely absent.

“I would say to Rishi Sunak: get a grip of this.

“This is one of your MPs, do something about it, force the issue and get on with it.”

On Monday the Prime Minister’s official spokesman was asked if he would back a move in Parliament to force Ms Dorries to step down.

“I think you’ve heard from a number of ministers on this already. I don’t think I’ve much to add beyond what we’ve said before,” he told reporters.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick previously said it was time for his colleague to quit, as her constituents were not “being properly represented”.

On Monday, Shefford Town Council in Mid Bedfordshire joined Flitwick Town Council in expressing frustration over what they see as a “continuing lack of representation” from their local MP.

In a letter published on Twitter, now known as X, the council raised concerns about her limited involvement in local events and services.

It also highlighted the fact that Ms Dorries’ last contribution in the House of Commons was made on 7 June 2022.

Ms Dorries made public her decision to leave her position in Westminster on 9 June.

However, just a week later, she reversed course and announced her intention to remain in office temporarily, citing the need to investigate the reasons behind her exclusion from a seat in the House of Lords.

Known for her steadfast support of Mr Johnson, Ms Dorries is also known as the host of a weekly talk show on Talk TV.

She has also authored a book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson, which is slated for publication shortly before the Conservative Party conference in September.

Mid Bedfordshire has been held by Ms Dorries since 2005 and the Conservative Party generally since 1931.

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