Nadine Dorries: Second council calls for her to quit claiming she has ‘scant interest’ in area

A second town council has urged Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries to step down.

In an open letter to the MP – who stated in June she would resign "with immediate effect” and then didn’t – Shefford Town Council has blasted her “scant interest” in the constituency and her “aversion to attending local events”.

It follows Flitwick Town Council which last month urged Dorries to speed up the process – saying it was concerned her focus was “firmly on your television show, your upcoming book and political manoeuvres to embarrass the government over not appointing you to the House of Lords”.

Shefford town mayor Ken Pollard said he had been asked to write to the MP following a full council meeting in Shefford on July 28.

He said in the letter: “I have been asked to write to you formally on behalf of the residents of Shefford to raise the town’s concerns and frustration at the continuing lack of representation for the people of Mid Bedfordshire at Westminster.

"In your role as the acting Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire, residents of Shefford feel that, due to your scant interest in your constituency, your aversion to attending local events or services and your lack of a maintained constituency office, the local area has been ‘abandoned’ by yourself.”

Mr Pollard said he believed the actions of Dorries were in breach of the Nolan Principles, designed to regulate behaviour of public officials.

He said: “Our residents desperately need effective representation now, and Shefford Town Council calls on you to honour your commitment and tender your resignation immediately.”

Shefford and Flitwick aren’t the only ones calling for her to resign, with LBC Radio placing adverts in our sister title Bedford Times and Citizen asking if anyone had seen the MP. There are also signs around the constituency calling for her to go.

Unlock Democracy has urged the standards commissioner to launch a probe into Dorries, who was briefly culture secretary under Boris Johnson’s government.

And until she officially declares it to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, a by-election cannot be held.

In a series of tweets in June, Dorries – was elected as MP for the constituency in 2005 – said she would not officially resign until she had access to information regarding an expected peerage under Johnson’s resignation honours. She was not named in the final list.

Ms Dorries has been approached for comment.