A campaign group has written to the standards watchdog asking for an investigation into Nadine Dorries after its poll suggested more than half of people believe her absence as an MP and failure to quit has significantly damaged parliament’s reputation.
Tom Brake, the director of Unlock Democracy, called for an inquiry after the group commissioned an Opinium survey that found 55% of people thought Dorries had caused significant damage by failing to speak in parliament and delaying her decision to quit.
The survey, which involved 2,000 people, said Dorries announced she was stepping down with immediate effect in early June but has yet to officially quit. It mentioned that she has not spoken in parliament in more than a year despite being paid her full salary as an MP during this time.
Given the option of whether or not this significantly damaged the reputation of parliament, 55% said it had done so, while 22% said it had not, and 23% said they did not know.
Daniel Greenberg, the standards commissioner, had previously written to the group saying it was an extremely high bar for an investigation into an MP on these grounds and it had not been proven that Dorries’ actions had caused significant damage to the reputation of parliament.
Dorries last made a written contribution in parliament when she laid a ministerial statement in early September 2022, as Boris Johnson handed over the reins to Liz Truss. She last voted in the House of Commons in April and has been absent for most votes since last September. The Guardian has previously reported that Dorries is barely visible in her constituency.
Rishi Sunak recently criticised Dorries for failing to represent her constituents properly, telling LBC: “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 Dorries was failing her constituents, Sunak said: “Well, at the moment people aren’t being properly represented.”
A diehard Johnson loyalist, Dorries said she was quitting parliament to trigger a byelection when the former prime minister stood down as an MP in early June. However, she did not resign and continues to draw an MP’s salary. Justifying her actions, she said she was waiting for an explanation as to why Johnson’s proposal that she should get a peerage was blocked.
Dorries has been a weekly presenter for TalkTV since February, although she has not declared any earnings in this role. Unlock Democracy also queried this in its letter to the standards commissioner. Dorries had suggested to the Mirror that she was “chasing” payment.
A petition on the 38 Degrees website about Dorries has attracted 70,000 signatures calling for her to stand down. It says: “Your constituents, local council, the prime minister and now the public have all had enough. Either start representing the people of Mid Bedfordshire or stand down with immediate effect, so they can have the representation they deserve.”
Dorries has been contacted for comment.
