‘Infighting and stupidity’: Johnson loyalist and ex-culture sec Nadine Dorries to quit as MP at next election

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries has announced she is standing down as an MP at the next general election, blaming the “sheer stupidity” of MPs in her party who “got rid of Boris Johnson”.

The Conservative MP fought back tears as she delivered the news on her TalkTV show, saying the decision had followed “much soul-searching”.

Ms Dorries is a staunch supporter of the former PM and has not hidden her views on Rishi Sunak since he became prime minister.

She said: “Those MPs who drank the Kool-Aid and got rid of Boris Johnson are already asking themselves the question: who next?

“And I’m afraid that the lack of cohesion, the infighting and occasionally the sheer stupidity from those who think we could remove a sitting prime minister, who secured a higher percentage of the vote share than Tony Blair did in 1997, just three short years ago…

“That (they think) they could do that and the public would let us get away with it, I’m afraid it’s this behaviour that I now just have to remove myself from.

“And so, despite it being a job that I’ve loved for every year that I’ve done it, I’m now off.”

Appearing emotional she added: “Oh gosh, I’ve just said it out loud, there’s no going back now.”

Ms Dorries also revealed how Mr Johnson “begged her” to stay on as an MP.

“However, given the poll rating of the Conservative Party, we are now likely to go to the wire in January 2025,” she said.