Residents living in Mid Bedfordshire have said their former MP Nadine Dorries “should have gone long ago”.
The Conservative former culture secretary finally handed in her resignation on Saturday, 11 weeks after she vowed to go – with a by-election now beckoning for the constituency.
Members of the public in Flitwick said Ms Dorries had remained in her role for too long, and admitted they would vote differently in the coming by-election.
On Sunday, Tricia Harris, 57, a leisure worker living in the town, told the PA news agency: “I’m pleased she’s gone – it’s about time. It was embarrassing for us, and it was embarrassing for her.
“She spent so long hanging on for no reason.”
Kate Massink, 67, a part-time care worker from nearby Toddington, said of the resignation: “I thought it was the best thing that’s happened for a long time. She should have gone long ago.
“I’ve voted Conservative for many years, but because of her and a lot of other things I wouldn’t do it again. In the next by-election, certainly not.
“She has done nothing for out constituency for a long time. We’ve sent her email after email – nothing.”
Ms Massink said she was “torn” between voting for Labour or the Liberal Democrats but said “they need to convince me and other people”.
Richard Wilson, 61, who lives in Flitwick and is retired, said the resignation had “taken too long”.
He said he would continue to vote Conservative as he likes Festus Akinbusoye, who was announced as the party’s candidate for the Mid Bedfordshire seat having previously been Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
But Mr Wilson added that he wanted to see tangible action, saying: “There needs to be somebody who’s actually going to say what they’re going to do and do it.”
