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| Nadine Dorries – ready for jungle Celebrity as Westminster rumbles on | Nadine Dorries – ready for jungle Celebrity as Westminster rumbles on |
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| Nadine Dorries must wait until Sunday to make her debutin the 12th series of the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, but in one respect at least – bringing a new image of politicians to an audience of millions – the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire has already amply succeeded in her ambitions. | |
| The last time Dorries commanded a rash of newspaper headlines was a little over a year ago, when she proposed an amendment to the health and social care bill to strip independent abortion providers of their role in counselling pregnant women. On Thursday, she was pictured semi-naked on the cover of the Daily Star, a cut out of the heads of presenters Ant and Dec over each of her breasts, above a smirking caption claiming that "Naughty Nadine Dorries has boobed again!" | |
| In fact the 55-year-old MP was not topless, as the paper claimed, but had been snapped furtively by a long-lens paparazzo while changing next to a hotel swimming pool. But as an illustration of the gulf between how Dorries doubtless hoped to come across by taking part in the show and the likely reality of her portrayal, the Star's story could scarcely have been more apt. Before departing for the Australian jungle, where the programme is filmed, Dorries said David Cameron would probably be "relieved" she had gone. Instead, the prime minister has suspended the party whip, and stressed to a TV audience, "She's no longer a Conservative MP while this is going on." | |
| The parliamentary commissioner for standards has confirmed it is investigating a complaint against Dorries, while a clutch of Conservative MPs rushed to criticise her involvement in the show, which – dependent on the will of the British electorate – could keep her away from Westminster for up to a month. | The parliamentary commissioner for standards has confirmed it is investigating a complaint against Dorries, while a clutch of Conservative MPs rushed to criticise her involvement in the show, which – dependent on the will of the British electorate – could keep her away from Westminster for up to a month. |
| "Taking leave for a month from parliament shows utter contempt," tweeted Alec Shelbrooke, MP for Elmet and Rothwell. The veteran member for Lichfield Michael Fabricant judged she had "let down her colleagues and her constituency". Claire Perry, elected in 2010 to represent Devizes, offered "a new slogan for rebellious, recalcitrant members: 'I'm not fit to be an MP – kick me out of here.'" | |
| In one respect, the MP, who has rarely shied from the spotlight since her election to parliament in 2005, will welcome the media storm – even though, having been shut off from all news media, she will be entirely unaware of it or of her party suspension. Dorries has said she decided to do the show "because 16 million people watch it. If people are watching I'm a Celebrity, that's where politicians should be going." Her appearance on the show could prove that MPs could be "normal", she said, adding: "Maybe [the public] will trust us more." (The fee of up to £40,000 may be another factor.) | In one respect, the MP, who has rarely shied from the spotlight since her election to parliament in 2005, will welcome the media storm – even though, having been shut off from all news media, she will be entirely unaware of it or of her party suspension. Dorries has said she decided to do the show "because 16 million people watch it. If people are watching I'm a Celebrity, that's where politicians should be going." Her appearance on the show could prove that MPs could be "normal", she said, adding: "Maybe [the public] will trust us more." (The fee of up to £40,000 may be another factor.) |
| The exposure would offer a platform for her to argue her position on abortion, she told her local paper, allowing her to "burst through" the "extreme zealots" who oppose her lobbying for a reduction in the legal limit to 20 weeks. Asked about her absence from parliament, she cited the example of fellow MP Alastair Burt who "has had 20 weeks abroad this year". That these trips were in his role as a foreign office minister evidently did not strike her as a different case to her own. | The exposure would offer a platform for her to argue her position on abortion, she told her local paper, allowing her to "burst through" the "extreme zealots" who oppose her lobbying for a reduction in the legal limit to 20 weeks. Asked about her absence from parliament, she cited the example of fellow MP Alastair Burt who "has had 20 weeks abroad this year". That these trips were in his role as a foreign office minister evidently did not strike her as a different case to her own. |
| In a party burdened with a posh-boy image, Dorries' "normalness" should be one of her major assets. The daughter of a bus driver and teacher who grew up in a council house in Liverpool, she is one of relatively few northern working-class Tories in parliament. A divorced mother of three, she traces her opposition to abortion at 24 weeks to her experiences working as a nurse for three years, during which time she assisted at a termination. She worked for a year at a community school in Africa before setting up a medical company, and working for Oliver Letwin before seeking election herself in 2001, and succeeding in 2005. | In a party burdened with a posh-boy image, Dorries' "normalness" should be one of her major assets. The daughter of a bus driver and teacher who grew up in a council house in Liverpool, she is one of relatively few northern working-class Tories in parliament. A divorced mother of three, she traces her opposition to abortion at 24 weeks to her experiences working as a nurse for three years, during which time she assisted at a termination. She worked for a year at a community school in Africa before setting up a medical company, and working for Oliver Letwin before seeking election herself in 2001, and succeeding in 2005. |
| But while she unquestionably adds colour to Westminster, the outspoken MP has also shown a repeated facility for self-sabotage. She escaped censure in the expenses scandal (which she called a "witch-hunt") only by claiming that her blog, in which she named her parliamentary address as home despite living 50 miles away, was "70% fiction". In 2010 she introduced an "abstinence" bill, which would see teenage girls – but not boys – lectured on the importance of abstaining from sex. | But while she unquestionably adds colour to Westminster, the outspoken MP has also shown a repeated facility for self-sabotage. She escaped censure in the expenses scandal (which she called a "witch-hunt") only by claiming that her blog, in which she named her parliamentary address as home despite living 50 miles away, was "70% fiction". In 2010 she introduced an "abstinence" bill, which would see teenage girls – but not boys – lectured on the importance of abstaining from sex. |
| Her proposed amendment to the health bill last year was roundly defeated, following a long, incoherent speech to the House which even the amendment's co-sponsor, Labour's Frank Field, pleaded with her to bring to a close. Opponents have pointed out that while Dorries has called for a 20-week limit and calls herself pro-choice, she has variously said she would prefer a limit of nine or 13 weeks. "I find her approach incredibly dishonest," said Kate Smurthwaite, vice chair of Abortion Rights UK. "If you scratch the surface you realise that she's opposed [to abortion] in all cases. She's just trying to find populist hangers to hang her message on." | Her proposed amendment to the health bill last year was roundly defeated, following a long, incoherent speech to the House which even the amendment's co-sponsor, Labour's Frank Field, pleaded with her to bring to a close. Opponents have pointed out that while Dorries has called for a 20-week limit and calls herself pro-choice, she has variously said she would prefer a limit of nine or 13 weeks. "I find her approach incredibly dishonest," said Kate Smurthwaite, vice chair of Abortion Rights UK. "If you scratch the surface you realise that she's opposed [to abortion] in all cases. She's just trying to find populist hangers to hang her message on." |
| The MP has also proved an increasingly outspoken – and highly personal – critic of her party leadership. She has said she was partly motivated by "revenge" for her treatment on the day she introduced her amendment, when in a dismissive innuendo during PMQs, Cameron called her "extremely frustrated". Her response has been bitter: Cameron and Osborne, whom she blames personally for the failure of the amendment, are "two arrogant posh boys who show no remorse, no contrition, and no passion to want to understand the lives of others", she has said. | The MP has also proved an increasingly outspoken – and highly personal – critic of her party leadership. She has said she was partly motivated by "revenge" for her treatment on the day she introduced her amendment, when in a dismissive innuendo during PMQs, Cameron called her "extremely frustrated". Her response has been bitter: Cameron and Osborne, whom she blames personally for the failure of the amendment, are "two arrogant posh boys who show no remorse, no contrition, and no passion to want to understand the lives of others", she has said. |
| Dorries is not unique in her party in disliking the leadership, but parliamentary patience is wearing thin with her self-styled outsider status. "It would be wrong of me to criticise someone for having a view that's different from yours," fellow Conservative MP Mark Garnier saidon Thursday, before adding that Dorries' interventions were often "less than helpful". It was "absolutely right" to remove the whip, he said. "The point is that [as a party] we're doing our best. Important things, all of which we feel strongly are the right thing to do. For someone to decide they don't want to be a team player and take a month's holiday, well, it's a bit of a slap in the face." | Dorries is not unique in her party in disliking the leadership, but parliamentary patience is wearing thin with her self-styled outsider status. "It would be wrong of me to criticise someone for having a view that's different from yours," fellow Conservative MP Mark Garnier saidon Thursday, before adding that Dorries' interventions were often "less than helpful". It was "absolutely right" to remove the whip, he said. "The point is that [as a party] we're doing our best. Important things, all of which we feel strongly are the right thing to do. For someone to decide they don't want to be a team player and take a month's holiday, well, it's a bit of a slap in the face." |
| At her constituency office on Thursday there was a fervently expressed hope, almost certainly forlorn, that the story would soon blow over. Why? "Because it's an embarrassment to all of us," said Budge Wells, deputy chair of the local Conservative association, before correcting himself a little to say: "It's something we wish hadn't happened." Local members, he said, were "rather upset", but would delay any decision until Dorries returned from the jungle. | At her constituency office on Thursday there was a fervently expressed hope, almost certainly forlorn, that the story would soon blow over. Why? "Because it's an embarrassment to all of us," said Budge Wells, deputy chair of the local Conservative association, before correcting himself a little to say: "It's something we wish hadn't happened." Local members, he said, were "rather upset", but would delay any decision until Dorries returned from the jungle. |
| He described her as a hardworking constituency MP with a "high moral standard" who had beaten a large field of candidates to be selected by the local party in 2005. She had lobbied effectively on a number of local conservation causes, he said, and "dealt with a lot of people's problems". As for her outspoken nature and self-styled "maverick" persona: "We didn't know that when we picked her." | He described her as a hardworking constituency MP with a "high moral standard" who had beaten a large field of candidates to be selected by the local party in 2005. She had lobbied effectively on a number of local conservation causes, he said, and "dealt with a lot of people's problems". As for her outspoken nature and self-styled "maverick" persona: "We didn't know that when we picked her." |
| Even friends said that Dorries was unlikely to have anticipated the reaction to her decision. "Most people going to the jungle have no idea of the size it is, or the impact it could make," said her friend Lembit Opik, who took part in the show in 2010 after losing his own parliamentary seat. "I certainly didn't." Dorries, he acknowledged, had probably been "naive". He condemned the "kangaroo court" decision to remove the party whip. | Even friends said that Dorries was unlikely to have anticipated the reaction to her decision. "Most people going to the jungle have no idea of the size it is, or the impact it could make," said her friend Lembit Opik, who took part in the show in 2010 after losing his own parliamentary seat. "I certainly didn't." Dorries, he acknowledged, had probably been "naive". He condemned the "kangaroo court" decision to remove the party whip. |
| "Nadine Dorries is a maverick, an independent-minded maverick. Rather than celebrating her diversity they simply try to suppress it." She had been subjected to "persecution, patronisation and ridicule in a very public way from her own colleagues", he said, adding that though he did not know of her plans to participate, "she is probably so sick of being ridiculed in parliament that she decided to take her arguments directly to the country". | "Nadine Dorries is a maverick, an independent-minded maverick. Rather than celebrating her diversity they simply try to suppress it." She had been subjected to "persecution, patronisation and ridicule in a very public way from her own colleagues", he said, adding that though he did not know of her plans to participate, "she is probably so sick of being ridiculed in parliament that she decided to take her arguments directly to the country". |
| Ann Widdecombe, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing after retiring as an MP, but has resisted repeated invites to I'm a Celebrity, would have urged Dorries not to take part, she told the Guardian. "You have no control at all in those programmes. It's entirely up to the editor which parts are shown." Withdrawing the whip, all the same, was "a gross overreaction". | Ann Widdecombe, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing after retiring as an MP, but has resisted repeated invites to I'm a Celebrity, would have urged Dorries not to take part, she told the Guardian. "You have no control at all in those programmes. It's entirely up to the editor which parts are shown." Withdrawing the whip, all the same, was "a gross overreaction". |
| Dorries had taken "the most tremendous gamble", and yet, "it may well work for her if she does manage to open politics to people who are more likely to vote in reality shows than in general elections. | Dorries had taken "the most tremendous gamble", and yet, "it may well work for her if she does manage to open politics to people who are more likely to vote in reality shows than in general elections. |
| "And what if she pulls it off and comes back in glory? What exactly is the party going to do then?" | "And what if she pulls it off and comes back in glory? What exactly is the party going to do then?" |