Nadine Dorries Foot In Mouth

Catching many by surprise, Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire (yes, it’s her again) Nadine Dorries arrived back in the UK from Australia to a moderately warm welcome from the press, and much enthusiasm from some who believe the populist rhetoric and are not aware of the less charitable side to her personality. But it has not taken long for Ms Dorries to remind everyone about that.

For starters, there was an act of straightforward dishonesty, as she proudly told that “In my seven and a half years as an MP I think it is important to state that I have never taken a single day away from parliament on one of the many jollies most MPs enjoy to various parts of the world”. As Unity from Ministry of Truth pointed out, she managed to miss a trip to Israel back in 2006.

Moreover, of the five days covered by that trip, Parliament was in session on four of them. And Unity has managed to find a photo from the visit, which does appear to suggest that the term “jolly” would be a fitting one. For those of us who recall her blather about her blog being 70% fiction, or maybe not, this comes as no surprise. And nor has her vicious smearing of a fellow MP.

Steve McCabe, who represents Birmingham’s Selly Oak constituency, has previously mocked Ms Dorries for jetting off to take part in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. So after she met with Tory chief whip George Young and remained suspended but told to “rebuild bridges” with her fellow MPs and constituents, she launched an attack on his Parliamentary attendance record.

What a sensitive soul she is!

Sadly for the fragrant Nadine, she did not bother to find out why McCabe had only attended for 63% of the time that the Commons had been sitting. This was important, as the reason was that he had had open heart surgery and was under doctor’s orders to take it easy while he recuperated. McCabe had done some work in the constituency, but had not travelled to Westminster.

But, as McCabe had reported Ms Dorries to the Parliamentary standards watchdog for employing daughter Philippa – at taxpayers’ expense – he had become fair game. So even after pointing out that he had indeed been recovering from heart surgery, Ms Dorries merely snapped back “I think with your 63% attendance record, you should be quiet. Obviously been taking a few holidays of your own!”

And there has thus far been no sign of Nadine Dorries so much as retracting that comment, far less apologising, but then, she tends not to do apologies. What George Young will make of that particular attempt to “rebuild bridges” with her fellow MPs is not yet known. But she is unlikely to have made many friends in the West Midlands today. Or in any other part of the country.

Anyone would think she didn’t care about other MPs. Why might that be?