Nadine Dorries should lose Tory whip - Lib Dem leader Davey

Nadine Dorries has not spoken in the House of Commons for more than a year

The leader of the Liberal Democrats has joined calls for Rishi Sunak to "sack" Nadine Dorries, calling the Mid Bedfordshire MP a "dosser".

Sir Ed Davey made the comments on a visit to Ampthill, where he met constituents angry about her absence.

Ms Dorries said she would stand down "with immediate effect" in June in protest at not receiving a peerage.

She insisted she was "working daily with constituents" and was being targeted by political attacks.

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"Myself and my team of four case workers are working daily with constituents," she told the News Agents podcast.

"I understand that political opponents... are choosing the summer and the news hungry outlets in the summer recess to be noticed. However, we are just getting on with the work."

"Nadine is letting down the people of Mid Bedfordshire," Sir Ed said. "She's totally absent."

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Ms Dorries - whose claim that Mr Sunak removed her peerage nomination has been denied by Downing Street - has said she was delaying her exit while she investigated why she was refused a seat in the House of Lords.

Sir Ed Davey, on a visit to Ampthill in Bedfordshire, described Ms Dorries as a "dosser"

Although the PM does not have the power to make someone stand down as an MP, Sir Ed said Mr Sunak should remove the Conservative whip from Ms Dorries.

"Rishi Sunak should sack Nadine Dorries today. He should have done it weeks ago," he said.

"Nadine is letting down the people of Mid Bedfordshire. She's totally absent. She said she'd resign and she doesn't. People are pretty angry locally."

Mr Sunak previously said the former culture secretary's voters "aren't being properly represented", but has not moved to expel her, prompting Sir Ed to call him "weak".

Nadine Dorries, pictured in May, has held the Mid Bedfordshire seat since 2005

Ms Dorries, who hosts a weekly chat show on Talk TV, has written a book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson, to be published in September.

She has not spoken in the House of Commons since June 2022.

Ms Dorries secured a 24,000 majority at the 2019 general election in the seat, which the Conservative Party has held since 1931.

She will not be able to formally resign and trigger a by-election until MPs return from their summer recess.

Sir Ed indicated the Lib Dems were ready to work cross-party with any other MPs who want to force Ms Dorries to step down once Parliament returns.

Fellow Tory MPs have also voiced their anger at their colleague's failure to follow through on her vow to quit.

The prime minister and Ms Dorries have been contacted for comment.

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