What the...?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 2:57 pmKind of nutso Conservative MP Nadine Dorris apparently decided to a take a month off work to appear on a reality TV series in Australia.
The Conservative party has suspended the whip from MP Nadine Dorries after it emerged she was planning to be absent from Westminster and her constituents to appear on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, which starts on Sunday.
The MP for Mid Bedfordshire's decision to become the first serving MP to take part in the gruelling jungle-based reality show in Australia, which could keep her from parliamentary and constituency business for a month, took many of her colleagues by surprise and triggered a barrage of criticism.
By early Tuesday evening, the Conservative party issued a statement to confirm that the chief whip, Sir George Young, had acted against Dorries, who did not ask him for permission to take part in the show. Her constituency chairman also said he had been unaware of her involvement in the show.
A Tory party spokesperson said: "George Young has suspended the whip from Nadine Dorries. He will have an urgent meeting with her when she gets back. The concern is that she will not be doing parliamentary or constituency business in the meantime."
Labour branded the Tory MP "shameless" over her decision to appear as a contestant on the ITV reality television show
Dorries, who flew to Queensland to prepare for the show, had justified her decision to take part after it came to light, insisting that the programme would be a platform to reach the public and raise awareness about issues such as reducing the abortion limit from 24 weeks to 20. She told the Sun: "I'm doing the show because 16 million people watch it. If people are watching I'm A Celebrity, that is where MPs should be going. I'm not going in there to upset people, but I have opinions."
ITV declined to comment on Dorries ahead of the official unveiling of the show's line-up.
Pressed on her fellow Tory's forthcoming appearance on the programme, the home secretary, Theresa May, said: "Frankly, I think an MP's job is in their constituency and in the House of Commons."
Labour accused the prime minister, currently on an official visit to the Middle East, of showing weak leadership earlier in the day when he refused to be drawn into the fray. He said: "Nadine Dorries can speak for herself on this issue."
