Nadine Dorries facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nadine Dorries
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Official portrait, 2021
|
|
| Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | |
| In office 15 September 2021 – 6 September 2022 |
|
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Oliver Dowden |
| Succeeded by | Michelle Donelan |
| Minister of State for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health | |
| In office 27 July 2019 – 15 September 2021 |
|
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Jackie Doyle-Price |
| Succeeded by | Gillian Keegan |
| Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire |
|
| In office 5 May 2005 – 29 August 2023 |
|
| Preceded by | Jonathan Sayeed |
| Succeeded by | Alistair Strathern |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nadine Vanessa Bargery
21 May 1957 Liverpool, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Paul Dorries
(m. 1984; div. 2007) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Halewood Grange Comprehensive School |
| Alma mater | Warrington General Hospital (nurse trainee) |
| Occupation |
|
| Signature |  |
Nadine Vanessa Dorries (born 21 May 1957) is a British author and a former politician. She served as the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2021 to 2022. Before that, she was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Bedfordshire. She represented the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2023.
Nadine Dorries was born in Liverpool into a working-class family. She grew up in Anfield and nearby towns like Halewood and Runcorn. She started her career as a trainee nurse in Warrington. Later, she worked as a medical representative. She also spent a year in Zambia leading a community school. After returning to England, she started her own company, Company Kids Ltd. This company offered child day-care services for parents who worked. She sold the company in 1998. In 2005, she was elected to the House of Commons.
As an MP, Nadine Dorries worked on several issues. She tried to change rules about certain health topics and education. She also had disagreements with other politicians, including John Bercow, who was the Speaker of the House of Commons. In 2012, she was temporarily suspended from her party. This happened after she appeared on a reality TV show without telling her party leaders. She was allowed back into the party in 2013.
In July 2019, Boris Johnson made Dorries a Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. She was promoted in May 2020. In September 2021, she became the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. She resigned from this role in September 2022 when Liz Truss became Prime Minister.
On 9 June 2023, Dorries announced she would leave her role as an MP. She later said she would wait to resign. This was because she wanted information about why she was not given a special honour called a peerage. She officially left her seat on 29 August 2023. She had not spoken in Parliament or worked on committees for some time. This led to criticism from other politicians.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nadine Vanessa Bargery was born in Liverpool on 21 May 1957. Her father was a bus driver. Her mother was Anglican, and Nadine was raised in that faith. She grew up in the Anfield area of Liverpool. She went to Rose Heath Primary School.
After primary school, she attended Halewood Grange Comprehensive School. Her family then moved to Runcorn. She grew up on a council estate. In 1975, she began training as a nurse at Warrington General Hospital. Her parents divorced when she was a teenager.
Starting Her Career
From 1978 to 1981, Nadine Dorries worked as a nurse in Warrington and Liverpool. She left the Liverpool area after marrying Paul Dorries, a mining engineer.
In 1982, Dorries worked as a medical representative for a year. Then, from 1983 to 1984, she spent a year in Zambia. There, she was the head of a community school. Her husband managed a copper mine in Zambia. In 1987, she started her own company, Company Kids Ltd. This company offered child day-care services for working parents. She sold the company in 1998. After selling it, she worked as a director for the health provider BUPA for a year.
Before becoming an MP, she worked as an adviser for three years. She helped Oliver Letwin, who was a Shadow Chancellor, with his media relations.
Becoming a Member of Parliament (2005–2023)
Nadine Dorries became the Conservative candidate for Mid Bedfordshire in 2005. This was considered a safe seat for the party. She was elected to the House of Commons in the 2005 general election. She won with a large majority of 11,355 votes. She gave her first speech in Parliament on 25 May 2005.
Dorries first supported David Davis for Conservative leader in 2005. However, she later withdrew her support. She said that David Cameron, who became the leader, represented things she was "suspicious of." In May 2007, she criticized Cameron for not following recommendations about grammar schools.
Dorries was a member of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee. Later, she was elected to the Health Select Committee in 2010.
In February 2010, Dorries took part in a TV documentary series called Tower Block of Commons. In this show, MPs lived with people who received welfare benefits.
She was re-elected in the 2010 general election. Her majority increased, showing more support from voters.
Parliamentary Conduct and Views
In October 2013, Dorries criticized a fellow Conservative MP, Kris Hopkins, on Twitter. She called him "one of parliament's slimiest, nastiest MPs." She also said Prime Minister Cameron's decision to promote Hopkins was "a really awful decision."
In May 2015, an independent candidate tried to challenge her election result. The challenge was rejected by the High Court of Justice.
Public Statements and Blog
In March 2008, a complaint was made about Dorries using the House of Commons' emblem on her blog. The complaint was upheld because it made it seem like her blog had official parliamentary support.
In October 2010, a watchdog criticized Dorries for her blog. They said it might "mislead constituents" about how much time she spent in her area. Dorries stated that her blog was "70% fiction and 30% fact." She said it was a way for her constituents to get to know her better. She later clarified that only the perception of her location was disguised for safety reasons.
Reality TV Appearance and Suspension
In November 2012, Nadine Dorries announced she would appear on the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. She did not tell her party leaders about her absence from Parliament. Because of this, the Conservative Party suspended her from the party whip on 6 November. This meant she was no longer officially part of the Conservative group in Parliament.
Dorries was the first contestant voted off the show on 21 November. On 8 May 2013, she was allowed back into the Conservative Party.
Views on Brexit
In the June 2016 EU referendum, Dorries supported the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union (Brexit). She was critical of Prime Minister Cameron, who wanted to remain. Dorries called for Cameron to resign during the campaign.
In November 2018, Dorries, who strongly supported Brexit, spoke about the agreement made between the UK Government and the EU. She said the deal would mean the UK had "no voice, no votes, no MEPs, no commissioner."
Ministerial Roles (2019–2022)
When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019, Dorries was appointed as a Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. In May 2020, she was promoted to a higher ministerial rank.
On 10 March 2020, Dorries became the first MP to be diagnosed with COVID-19. She had attended Parliament and visited 10 Downing Street before self-isolating.
In November 2020, Dorries faced criticism for not accepting talks about mental health support for NHS staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, she defended a 1% pay offer for NHS staff. She said it was due to the "unprecedented" pressure on the UK's finances.
.jpg)
On 15 September 2021, Dorries was promoted to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. She had been critical of what she saw as "elitism" in the BBC. She supported "BBC reform."
In February 2022, Dorries said the government would create laws to "hold to account" streaming companies for offensive content. This came after a controversy about a joke made by a comedian on Netflix.
In April 2022, Prime Minister Boris Johnson reported that Dorries had asked Nick Clegg of Meta (Facebook's parent company) to remove a video. Clegg agreed and removed the video.
During her time as Secretary of State, Dorries tried to privatize Channel 4. Her reasons for this move received public and industry criticism. The privatization plans were later stopped by her successor, Michelle Donelan.
In July 2022, Dorries personally gave a special historic status (Grade II listed) to a plaque of Cecil Rhodes in Oxford. This decision was controversial because Rhodes had passed laws that took land from black Africans and limited their political rights.
Leaving Parliament (2022–2023)
On 5 September 2022, Nadine Dorries resigned as Culture Secretary. She decided to return to being a regular MP to focus on writing books.
On 9 February 2023, Dorries announced she would not seek re-election. She blamed "infighting and stupidity" within her party. On 9 June 2023, she said she was "standing down" as an MP right away. This would cause a special election in her area.
However, she later changed her mind. She said she would not resign until she received information about why she was not given a peerage. This led to growing criticism from local councils and other politicians. They said she was not representing her constituents.
On 26 August, Dorries officially resigned as an MP in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. She criticized his government in the letter. On 29 August, Dorries formally left her seat in the Commons. A special election was held in Mid Bedfordshire on 19 October. Alistair Strathern of the Labour Party won the seat.
Author
In September 2013, it became known that Nadine Dorries had signed a deal to write three books. Her first book was published in April 2014.
Her first novel, The Four Streets, was a best-selling e-book. It sold 100,000 copies by July 2014. By 2022, Dorries had published 16 books. She also announced a deal for six more books.
In 2023, it was revealed that Dorries was writing a book about the downfall of Boris Johnson. The book, titled The Plot, was released on 9 November 2023.
Political Views
Nadine Dorries is described as a "right-wing, working-class Conservative." She is a member of the Cornerstone Group, which holds socially conservative views.
Same-Sex Marriage
Dorries opposed the government's law to allow same-sex marriage. In May 2012, she wrote that "Gay marriage is a policy which has been pursued by the metro elite gay activists." She believed it should be put aside. In February 2013, she argued that the bill did not make gay marriage equal to heterosexual marriage in all legal aspects.
Burka Ban
In August 2018, Boris Johnson wrote an article discussing a burka ban in Denmark. Dorries said that Johnson "did not go far enough." She believed the burka should not be worn in Britain. On 7 August 2018, Dorries tweeted: "No woman in a liberal, progressive society should be forced to cover up her beauty or her bruises."
Views on Other Politicians
Before John Bercow became Speaker of the House of Commons in June 2009, Dorries accused him of being disloyal to the Conservative Party. She called his election "a two-fingered salute to the British people from Labour MPs."
On 6 March 2012, Dorries criticized Cameron and Nick Clegg for their tax policies. She said they were "two public schoolboys who don't know what it's like to go to the supermarket." She also criticized George Osborne in similar terms. Osborne responded that Dorries had disagreed with most Conservative leaders for many years.
All-Women Shortlists
In 2001, Dorries had supported all-women shortlists for selecting political candidates. However, in 2009, she strongly criticized Cameron's idea to use them. She argued that it would create "two classes of MPs." She felt sorry for Labour women selected this way, saying "Everyone knows who they are. They are constantly derided."
Personal Life
Nadine Dorries married mining engineer Paul Dorries in 1984. They had three daughters together. They separated in 2007 and later divorced.
Dorries has dyslexia.
Honours and Awards
Nadine Dorries became a member of the Privy Council on 20 September 2021. This gave her the special title "The Right Honourable."
In 2008, Dorries won The Spectator's Readers' Representative Award.
Images for kids
-
Nadine Dorries's signature
