Yahoo News Anger as Nadine Dorries fails to speak in Commons for 343 days
Critics insist Dorries, who says she plans to quit as an MP after being overlooked for a peerage, should 'step aside now'
Nadine Dorries is hanging on as an MP, despite announcing last week that she was stepping down after being denied as a peer in Boris Johnson's resignation honours list.
As a row continues over suspected interference by prime minister Rishi Sunak's team, she has demanded documents including WhatsApp messages, emails and meetings of minutes before she leaves.
While the MP for Mid Bedfordshire says it is “absolutely my intention to resign” once she gets the answers she seeks, this apparent backtracking has kicked a potential by-election into the long grass.
Since her announcement, Dorries has drawn criticism after analysis of parliamentary records shows she hasn't spoken in the House of Commons for nearly a year, prompting opposition MPs to urge her to step aside immediately.
According to analysis of Hansard by Yahoo News, the last time she addressed members directly on the Commons floor was on 7 July, 2022 – some 343 days ago – back when she was secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport.
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She discussed a range of issues including helping the leisure industry through the pandemic, access to fast internet connections, and how the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Glastonbury, Silverstone, Wimbledon and the women's Euros heralded a "great British summer of culture and sport".
Having not spoken up in the Commons since summer 2022 – despite being a former cabinet member and a prominent Tory – opponents have questioned her decision to remain as an MP for the time-being.
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Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper told Yahoo News: "Local people deserve better than a vacant MP who isn't even bothering to turn up to work. Mid-Bedfordshire has been taken for granted by Conservative MPs for far too long.
"Nadine Dorries should step aside now to give people the chance to elect a proper local champion. This by-election will be a two-horse race in Mid-Bedfordshire between the Liberal Democrats and an out of control Conservative party."
Dorries has submitted written ministerial statements to parliament more recently than last July – the most recent one was 283 days ago – but this is different to her speaking in the chamber.
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Written ministerial statements are normally used to put the day-to-day business of government on the official record and in the public domain, while oral statements address major incidents, policies and actions, according to parliament's website.
On 5 September 2022, she submitted a written statement updating the House on the Department of Culture Media and Sport's recent achievements, including 70% of homes and businesses across the country having access to lightning-fast, gigabit connections.
As well as addressing issues in the Commons, MPs do of course do plenty of work for their constituents in and outside of their weekly surgeries.
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If she hadn't announced her attention to resign, she would have a very good chance of keeping her seat based on Mid Bedfordshire's voting record.
Her constituency has been held by the Conservatives since 1931, and she won a vote share of 59.8% in 2019, with Labour coming second at 21.7%.
Yahoo News has contacted Dorries' office for comment.
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