By-election for Nadine Dorries MP's Bedfordshire seat due next month

Nadine Dorries quit as MP on 27 August

A by-election in Nadine Dorries's seat of Mid-Bedfordshire will be held in mid-October.

The BBC understands the government will move the writ today, starting the formal by-election process after the sitting MP announced her intention to resign in June.

It is believed the vote could be held on either the 12 or 19 October. On 27 August, Ms Dorries, the former culture secretary, announced she would quit as MP, more than two months after pledging to go "with immediate effect".

She launched a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak in her resignation letter to him, telling the prime minister "history will not judge you kindly".

She accused him of abandoning "the fundamental principles of Conservatism" and said the country was now run by a "zombie Parliament".

Ms Dorries had come under increasing pressure to act on her promise to resign as she had not spoken in the House of Commons since June 2022.

At least seven candidates have already expressed an interest in standing in the by-election.

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