Nadine Dorries is not in breach of the MPs’ Code of Conduct- despite not turning up to Parliament in over a year.
The Tory MP for mid-Bedfordshire said she was standing down as an MP in June but has informed Rishi Sunak that she will not formally resign until she gets more information about why she was denied a peerage.
She last spoke in parliament in July last year and has only voted six times this year, but has managed to write a book and host a weekly show on TalkTV.
But according to Byline Times reporter Josiah Mortimer, Dorries has not breached the MPs’ Code of Conduct by failing to show up.
Unlock Democracy made their complaint about Dorries on the basis of the following rule: “Members shall never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, or of its Members generally”
The Commissioner felt that Dorries’ behaviour didn’t damage the House’s reputation, saying: “We don’t agree and will be challenging that assessment”.
Unlock Democracy’s Tom Brake said: “I can’t think of any other job where there’s no specific ‘service standard’ or job description, or minimum hours of attendance required. It really is one rule for MPs and another for the rest of us”
