Former Conservative frontbencher and participant in the reality show “I’m A Celebrity,” Nadine Dorries, has switched allegiance to Reform UK.
Dorries, known for advocating that Boris Johnson was unfairly targeted by a secretive Conservative scheme, criticized her former party as being “lifeless.” She took a swipe at Kemi Badenoch, stating, “The Conservative Party is incapable of securing victory in the upcoming election. It discards successful prime ministers and replaces them with failures.”
The ex-Culture Secretary resigned as a Member of Parliament in 2023, attributing her lack of a peerage to “dark forces.” This move drew condemnation from fellow Conservatives, with Tobias Ellwood accusing her of self-centeredness and Sir Robert Neill labeling her conduct as shameful.
According to the Daily Mail, Dorries has left the door open for a potential return to Parliament. She expressed to the newspaper, “The Conservative Party is defunct. Its members must now consider innovative options for the future.”
During her time in the House of Commons, Dorries was among a group of 10 MPs accused of interfering with the work of the Privileges Committee during its investigation of Boris Johnson.
In a separate incident in 2012, Dorries had her Conservative party membership suspended after agreeing to participate in the ITV show “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here” without consulting the party.
A source from the Liberal Democrats commented, “We are unsure who to sympathize with more, Kemi Badenoch or Nigel Farage.” A Labour spokesperson remarked, “Nadine Dorries claims the Conservative Party is finished – as someone who contributed to its downfall, she should be familiar with it.”
The Labour representative continued, criticizing Dorries for her support of Boris Johnson during controversial events and her transition to the Reform party, highlighting what they perceive as inconsistent political stances.
Despite her past criticism of Rishi Sunak and her book alleging a conspiracy to remove Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage welcomed Dorries to Reform UK, praising her political acumen and predicting a positive impact on the party’s future election campaigns.