Nadine Dorries: Constituents react as MP announces exit plan

Nadine Dorries has been the MP for Mid Bedfordshire since 2005

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, who has announced she will not be standing for re-election, has made headlines for her fierce loyalty to Boris Johnson and her strong stance on abortion, same-sex marriage, and "left-wing snowflakes". But what of her work in her constituency for these past 18 years? The BBC canvassed opinion in Ampthill, Bedfordshire.

'In love with Boris'

Jacqueline Catlin said she was pleased Ms Dorries would no longer be her MP

Jacqueline Catlin said it was "a really good thing" Ms Dorries was standing down.

"She never does what you ask of her," the 80-year-old said.

"She's never about, she just seems to be in love with Boris.

"I think she's a coward but there you go."

'Wasted time on a TV show'

Lucienne Mann said she thought Ms Dorries had wasted time with other endeavours

Lucienne Mann said she was "happy" Ms Dorries would no longer be her MP.

"We need a more useful candidate," the 40-year-old said.

"One who actually cares what people doing and takes action and doesn't waste her time writing book and going on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!"

Almost two decades in politics

Nadine Dorries said she would use her time on I'm A Celebrity... in 2012 to promote her campaign on abortions

• Nadine Dorries began her career as a nurse and later went into business, and, as a published novelist, has drawn on her upbringing on a council estate in Liverpool

• Soon after her 2005 election, she led a campaign - which was ultimately unsuccessful - to have the time limit for an abortion reduced from 24 weeks to 21 weeks

• She had the Tory whip removed in 2012, after entering the I'm A Celebrity jungle - the first sitting MP to do so. One challenge saw Ms Dorries having to eat a camel's toe and an ostrich's anus. She was reinstated by the Conservatives six months later

• Her party introduced legislation for same-sex marriage in 2014, which she had voted against. She later described her decision as her "biggest regret as an MP".

• A supporter of Brexit during the 2016 EU Referendum, she called for the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, who backed Remain. She once described him and Chancellor George Osborne as "a pair of posh boys who don't know the price of milk"

• She was promoted to culture secretary under prime minister Boris Johnson

• Ms Dorries came under fire in 2020 for retweeting false allegations about Labour leader Keir Starmer relating to his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Service

• Last month, she was told she had broken the ministerial code for taking up her new role as a chat show host on TalkTV without properly consulting Parliament. Her first guest was Mr Johnson

• Ms Dorries announced her intention to stand down at the next general election, blaming "infighting and stupidity" that led to resignation of Mr Johnson

'Good riddance'

Ian Brown said he thought an MP should live in their constituency

Ian Brown said he was not pleased with the way Ms Dorries announced her departure.

"I'd have appreciated it if she told her constituents rather than viewers of Talk TV," he said.

"Good riddance. I prefer people that live in the area."

'A good service'

John Neale said he thought Ms Dorries had served the area well

John Neale said he thought it was "probably time for change".

"Realistically she'd done a good service for the area," the 55-year-old said.

"A few things have happened in her time and we could do with some fresh blood."

Analysis

by Amy Holmes, BBC Three Counties political reporter

This news isn't a massive surprise, it always felt likely that after she resigned from her post as culture secretary last year, in the run up to Liz Truss's brief tenure as prime minister, that she would consider other options outside of Downing Street in future.

She's always been a busy woman. A previous career as a nurse already behind her, with many books to her name and a plan for her to write one on Boris Johnson's fall from power at No 10 already in the public domain.

And it's Mr Johnson's name that she'll surely be forever linked with in politics; he made her a mental health minister and then promoted her to culture secretary and as last year wore on, Ms Dorries was one of the few MPs who were prepared to openly back him in public.

She'll leave after successfully fighting five elections in the Mid Bedfordshire seat that's always been a fairly safe one for her party.

'Polarise opinion'

Mark Lavery said he did not feel too strongly about Ms Dorries

Mark Lavery, 57, described his MP as "a colourful figure".

"She tends to polarise opinion," he said.

"Her stepping down, is that a big issue for us as a town? Not really.

"She doesn't live round here so we just crack on."

Mr Lavery said Ms Dorries was "never short of an opinion or confidence".