Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries is to quit as an MP

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries announces she is to quit as an MP immediately to set up by-election in her Mid-Bedfordshire seat

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries is to quit as an MP with immediate effect, she announced today.

The ex-Tory minister, a close ally of Boris Johnson, has represented the longstanding Tory seat of Mid-Bedfordshire since 2005.

She had been linked with a seat in the House of Lords in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list but her appointment is believed to have been blocked by officials.

Ms Dorries, 66, who was also a health minister under Mr Johnson, this afternoon tweeted: ‘I have today informed the chief whip that I am standing down as the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, with immediate effect.

‘It has been an honour to serve as the MP for such a wonderful constituency but it is now time for someone younger to take the reins.’

It means there will be a by-election in the seat, which she won with a majority of 24,664 in 2019. 

However, polling suggests that even with a massive Tory majority, the seat could be vulnerable to tactical voting by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

The ex-Tory minister, a close ally of Boris Johnson , has represented the ultra-safe Tory seat of Mid-Bedfordshire since 2005.

Ms Dorries, who is also a columnist for the Daily Mail, won 60 per cent of the vote at the 2019 general election, well ahead of Labour in second place on 22 per cent.

The Liberal Democrats came third on 13 per cent, while the Greens were fourth on 4 per cent.

She increased her majority in Mid Bedfordshire from 20,983 in 2017 to 24,664 in 2019, with a swing of 2.4 per cent from Labour to the Conservatives.

A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman said: ‘This is a rural seat in the heart of the Blue Wall, we are in it to win it.’

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