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Nadine Dorries ditches MP duties to take part in I'm a Celebrity … Tory party suspends Nadine Dorries
(about 2 hours later)
The Tory MP Nadine Dorries has come under fire for opting to spend nearly a month in Australia as a contestant on the reality television show I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here. The Conservative party has suspended the whip from MP Nadine Dorries after it emerged she was planning to be absent from Westminster and her constituents to appear on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, which starts on Sunday.
Dorries provoked a hail of criticism over plans to take part in the gruelling jungle-based reality show in Australia. Her move surprised many of her colleagues and could keep her from parliamentary and constituency business for a month. The MP for Mid Bedfordshire's decision to become the first serving MP to take part in the gruelling jungle-based reality show in Australia, which could keep her from parliamentary and constituency business for a month, took many of her colleagues by surprise and triggered a barrage of criticism.
It was reported that Dorries did not ask the Tory chief whip, Sir George Young, for permission to take part in the show. The Mid Bedfordshire Conservative association, which was also not informed, was reportedly planning an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss her future as an MP, but a member of the association scotched the claim, saying that there had been "no meeting". By early Tuesday evening, the Conservative party issued a statement to confirm that action had been taken by the chief whip, Sir George Young against Dorries, who did not ask Young for permission to take part in the show. Her constituency chairman also said he was unaware of her involvement in the show.
Ashley Green, a member of the association, said it had yet to receive confirmation that Dorries was in Australia. "Once it is confirmed we will see what actions is to be taken, if any," he said. A Tory party spokesperson said: "George Young has suspended the whip from Nadine Dorries. He will have an urgent meeting with her when she gets back. The concern is that she will not be doing parliamentary or constituency business in the meantime."
The Conservative party refused to comment on Dorries' decision, but the home secretary, Theresa May, rebuked her by saying an MP's job was "in their constituency and in the House of Commons". Labour branded the Tory MP "shameless" over her decision to appear as a contestant on the ITV reality television show
Dorries, who is paid £65,738 a year to serve as the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, will be paid up to a maximum of £40,000 for taking part in the show, which begins on Sunday and sees contestants face a series of endurance tests. Previous challenges have included eating kangaroo testicles and crocodile penis. Dorries, who flew to Queensland to prepare for the show, had justified her decision to take part after it came to light, insisting that the programme would be a platform to reach the public and raise awareness about issues such as reducing the abortion limit from 24 weeks to 20. She told the Sun: "I'm doing the show because 16 million people watch it. If people are watching I'm A Celebrity, that is where MPs should be going. I'm not going in there to upset people, but I have opinions."
The Conservative MP, who admitted in interviews that she had never seen the ITV show, appeared unrepentant. Arriving at the camp in Queensland on Monday night, she said the programme would be a platform to reach the public and raise awareness about issues such as reducing the abortion limit from 24 weeks to 20. ITV declined to comment on Dorries ahead of the official unveiling of the show's line-up.
She told the Daily Mail: "I'm doing the show because 16 million people watch it. Rather than MPs talking to other MPs about issues in parliament, I think MPs should be going to where people go." Pressed on her fellow Tory's forthcoming appearance on the programme, home secretary Theresa May said: "Frankly, I think an MP's job is in their constituency and in the House of Commons."
When asked about her phobias, Dorries, who has previously described David Cameron and Osborne as "arrogant posh boys", replied: "I'm frightened of rats, but then again I do work with them." Labour accused the prime minister, currently on an official visit to the Middle East, of showing weak leadership earlier in the day when he refused to be drawn into the fray. He said: "Nadine Dorries can speak for herself on this issue."
Labour seized on the revelation to accuse David Cameron of weak leadership. Speaking before the whip was suspended from Dorries, the Labour MP Steve McCabe said: "It is shameless that a Conservative MP thinks it is right to spend time boosting her own profile on a reality TV show in Australia instead of fighting for jobs and growth in Britain. David Cameron is so weak he cannot even stop his backbenchers appearing on TV when they should be standing up for their constituents. He should get a grip."
Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, said: "It is shameless that a Conservative MP thinks it is right to spend time boosting her own profile on a reality TV show in Australia instead of fighting for jobs and growth in Britain. David Cameron is so weak he cannot even stop his backbenchers appearing on TV when they should be standing up for their constituents. He should get a grip." Dorries, who is paid £65,738 a year to serve as the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, will be paid up to a maximum of £40,000 for taking part in the show, which sees contestants face a series of endurance tests. Previous challenges have included eating kangaroo testicles and a crocodile penis.
Downing Street refused to comment. The prime minister is currently on an official visit to the Middle East. There was similar controversy in 2006, when George Galloway, then an MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
May told ITV's This Morning programme: "Each individual member of parliament has to decide how they're going to do their job and it's up to Nadine to decide how she wants to do her job. Dorries will be absent for votes in the Commons and could miss George Osborne's autumn statement on the economy on 5 December if she survives on the show long enough.
"Frankly, I think an MP's job is in their constituency and in the House of Commons." Her constituency chairman, Paul Duckett, said he was "surprised" to hear Dorries was taking part and would consider "further action" depending on views within the local association. Duckett, who met with his deputy chair on Tuesday to discuss the matter, said:
Dorries, 55, is the first serving MP to take part in a reality show in which viewers get a say on who gets evicted since the Respect MP George Galloway appeared on Celebrity Big Brother six years ago. Dorries will be absent for votes in the Commons and could miss George Osborne's autumn statement on 5 December if she survives on the show long enough. "She is a very good constituency MP, she is very diligent and she spends a lot of time on the job and I'm quite surprised that she has decided to just go away and take part on the programme," he said.
"Normally she would tell me and normally we would know because she is a very diligent MP which is why it came as a bit of a surprise from the media that she is going off to do a TV programme. If she is doing this programme and taking time out – which is a very unusual thing for her because she is very diligent and very rarely takes time out – we will take a view if this is what actually happens. "
Duckett, a Central Bedfordshire councillor and chairman of the Mid Bedfordshire Conservative association, added: "We shall find out what she is doing, where she is and what she is intending to do and if it is in contravention to anyone's opinions within the association then we will take further action."
The former Tory MP Louise Mensch, who gave up her Corby seat in August to live with her husband in America, was among those who took to Twitter to criticise Dorries's decision. "Nothing sadder than a politician, or ex-politician, on any of those shows," she said.The former Tory MP Louise Mensch, who gave up her Corby seat in August to live with her husband in America, was among those who took to Twitter to criticise Dorries's decision. "Nothing sadder than a politician, or ex-politician, on any of those shows," she said.
"Just imagining the scene in the whips' office if I said I wanted to skip parliament for weeks to go on a celebrity TV show.""Just imagining the scene in the whips' office if I said I wanted to skip parliament for weeks to go on a celebrity TV show."
She added: "Nadine pretending that a serious issue like abortion rights is why she did this is the lowest of the low. Indefensible stuff."She added: "Nadine pretending that a serious issue like abortion rights is why she did this is the lowest of the low. Indefensible stuff."
A Tory councillor, Nigel Fletcher, tweeted: "You're not a 'celebrity', Nadine, you're a member of parliament, and your constituents pay you to work for them, not ITV."
The former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Öpik took part in the show after losing his seat in the 2010 general election.The former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Öpik took part in the show after losing his seat in the 2010 general election.
Dorries will compete against the former darts player Eric Bristow and Charlie Brooks, who played Janine Butcher in EastEnders. Öpik, who lasted only 14 days in the Australian jungle and was bitten by a snake in his first week, tweeted his support for Dorries: "Good on Nadine Dorries for the jungle if she's really going in. Go gal!"
Öpik tweeted his support for Dorries: "Good on Nadine Dorries for the jungle if she's really going in. Go gal!" Tim Montgomerie, founder and editor of UK political website ConservativeHome, suggested Dorries could "present an image of a Tory MP that defies some of the popular preconceptions and caricatures".
He posted on the site: "It's not clear to me how much politics she'll be able to discuss but her hope is that she'll be able to introduce herself to an audience that would never tune into Question Time, the Daily Politics or perhaps even a main news bulletin.
"She argues that more people watch and vote in reality shows than in many elections. If that's where the people are, that's where she thinks MPs should be too."
Other figures tipped to take part in this year's show include actor Linda Robson and ex-Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, who played Rosie Webster. Darts player Eric Bristow is also said to be taking part.