Rishi Sunak 'grateful' for Nadine Dorries's time as Tory MP

Rishi Sunak has said helium is "grateful" for Nadine Dorries's work arsenic an MP, aft she resigned with a scathing onslaught connected his record.

The Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire has present officially quit, much than 2 months aft she pledged spell "with contiguous effect" successful June.

In her resignation statement, she accused the premier curate of taking "the British nationalist for fools".

Mr Sunak did not respond to her disapproval erstwhile asked by reporters.

Asked for his absorption to the comments during a sojourn connected Tuesday, helium replied: "I'm grateful to Nadine for her work some arsenic an MP and a minister."

He added that helium was "looking forward" to supporting the Tory campaigner successful the by-election to regenerate her that volition instrumentality spot this autumn.

The Treasury confirmed connected Tuesday that Ms Dorries has present officially resigned arsenic an MP, aft she announced she would beryllium taking the measurement implicit the weekend.

In her lengthy resignation statement, she deed retired astatine Mr Sunak for overseeing a "zombie Parliament" and attacked his grounds arsenic premier curate since helium entered No 10 past October.

She wrote that his authorities was "adrift", and criticised his show successful a scope of areas including taxation, tackling amerciable migration, and "delivering connected the benefits of Brexit".

The by-election to take her successor is improbable to instrumentality spot until October astatine the earliest, and a day volition not beryllium confirmed until Parliament returns from its summertime recess adjacent week.

The timing could beryllium politically awkward for Mr Sunak, with the Tories trailing Labour successful nationalist sentiment polls and the Conservatives acceptable to clasp their yearly league successful Manchester successful aboriginal October.

Ms Dorries archetypal announced she was quitting Parliament successful June, aft it was confirmed she would not beryllium getting a peerage successful erstwhile premier curate Boris Johnson's resignation honours list.

The erstwhile civilization secretary, 1 of Mr Johnson's staunchest governmental allies, accused Mr Sunak's governmental squad of removing her sanction from the database - thing Downing Street has denied.

She aboriginal announced she would enactment successful station portion she tried to find retired much astir wherefore she didn't get a spot successful the House of Lords.

However, she came nether unit to resign implicit the summer, with section councillors successful Bedfordshire calling connected her to spell and critics pointing retired she hadn't spoken successful the Commons since leaving authorities past year.

First elected successful arsenic an MP successful 2005, the erstwhile caregiver aboriginal served arsenic a wellness curate nether Mr Johnson, earlier helium aboriginal promoted her to civilization caput successful 2021.

She was suspended arsenic a Conservative MP successful 2012, aft appearing connected ITV world amusement I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.

She has written a bid of novels and is owed to merchandise a publication astir the "political assassination" of Mr Johnson successful precocious September, 2 days earlier the Tory league is owed to begin.