A local council in Nadine Dorries’s constituency is demanding she resigns as an MP “immediately”, saying “residents desperately need effective representation now”.
The former culture secretary announced on 9 June that she was standing down as an MP “with immediate effect”, just ahead of her close ally Boris Johnson’s own exit from parliament.
But she still hasn’t formally resigned and remains the representative for Mid-Bedfordshire.
In a terse letter to Ms Dorries, Flitwick Town Council said the issue had been raised at a recent meeting, and councillors wanted her to “immediately vacate” her seat to allow a by-election.
“Rather than representing constituents, the council is concerned that your focus appears to have been firmly on your television show, upcoming book and political manoeuvres to embarrass the government for not appointing you to the House of Lords,” wrote the council’s town clerk, Stephanie Stanley.
“With an estimated population of 13,800 people, Flitwick represents the largest concentration of voters in the Mid-Bedfordshire constituency.
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“Our residents desperately need effective representation now, and Flitwick Town Council calls on you to immediately vacate your seat to allow a by-election.”
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Nadine Dorries spoke to Sky News after her resignation.
The town mayor, Councillor Andy Snape, said demands had been growing across the community for Ms Dorries to “do the right thing rather than continue to hold the people of Mid-Bedfordshire to ransom while she plays political games for personal gain”.
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He claimed the MP had not held a surgery in the town since March 2020 and had not maintained a constituency office “for a considerable time”.
Councillor Snape also said her “absence and lack of interest/contribution” had held back local projects, as he hit out at her living in the Cotswolds rather than in her constituency.
In a statement on social media, he added: “It’s the job of our MP to represent the views of Mid-Bedfordshire constituents in parliament and hold the government accountable, pushing for positive changes to policy and legislation.
“In my personal opinion, Dorries hasn’t done this.
“Her focus appears to be firmly on her TalkTV show, her new Daily Mail column, and, more recently, her upcoming tell-all book and exerting as much pressure as possible to embarrass the government into giving her a peerage.
“Regardless of your political viewpoint, Mid-Bedfordshire residents desperately need representation at Westminster. It’s time for Dorries to put Mid-Bedfordshire first and let someone else have a go.”
Ms Dorries announced her resignation last month, just hours before Mr Johnson quit in protest to the Privileges Committee findings – ruling he deliberately mislead parliament over lockdown breaking parties in Downing Street.
At the time, she said a “new life is opening up” in front of her, so it was the right time to step down.
However, rumours swelled that she had been in line for a peerage and was cut from Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list at the last minute to ensure it got the sign off from the current incumbent in Number 10.
In the following days, Ms Dorries said she would not formally resign until after she got answers from Downing Street about why she did not get her peerage.
“It is absolutely my intention to resign,” she tweeted. “But given what I know to be true and the number of varying and conflicting statements issued by Number 10 since the weekend, this process is now sadly necessary.”
The delay to her exit has drawn criticism from all over the House, with the Tory chair of the public administration and constitutional affairs committee referring to her as the “lingering member for Mid-Bedfordshire”.
We have contacted Ms Dorries for a response to the town council’s letter.
The Mid Bedfordshire Conservative Association had no comment on the row, telling Sky News: “This letter was addressed to Nadine, and therefore a matter for her.”
Kris Hallenga, the founder of breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!, has died aged 38.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 23 and lived with the illness for 15 years, tirelessly campaigning for breast cancer awareness in that time.
A statement on the charity’s website said: “She hasn’t lost a battle, she wasn’t in a fight and she certainly wouldn’t want you to see her death as tragic.
“She was simply living. She was 38 and died with fulfilment and a heart full of love.”
Ms Hallenga’s breast cancer was terminal by the time it was diagnosed in 2009.
“Kris’ ambition was for no one else to find themselves in her position and so CoppaFeel! was born, to ensure breast cancers are diagnosed early and accurately,” the charity said.
Describing her as “founder, boob chief, colleague, friend and queen of glittering turds”, CoppaFeel! said she was “the biggest promoter of being ‘alive to do those things'”.
“She approached life in a wildly creative, fun and fearless way, and showed us that it is possible to live life to the full with cancer.”
Last year Ms Hallenga threw a living funeral, where guests were invited to sign a cardboard replica of her coffin and childhood footage was projected around Truro Cathedral in Cornwall.
Dawn French did the eulogy in character as the Vicar of Dibley, while Ms Hallenga gave a speech and sparkled in a glittery jumpsuit.
Afterwards, she posted on Instagram: “I’ve never felt love like it. I’ve never felt joy like it. I’ve never felt such kinship with mortality. I’ve never felt so alive.”
Ms Hallenga campaigned for cancer education to be included in the school curriculum, won the Women of the Year Outstanding Young Campaigner award, received an honorary doctorate from Nottingham Trent University and wrote a memoir titled Glittering a Turd.
A post on her Instagram page announcing the news to her 146,000 followers was signed off by her cat Lady Marmalade.
It said: “Her final message from her to you would be one that probably involved checking your chest, getting in some cold water, talking more about death and dying, that even the turdiest of turds are glitterable, that you should always see the silly side of life, that she LOVED her life and that giving Neighbours 2.0 is worth another chance.”
The result meant Ipswich will return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.
Saturday’s victory secured the Suffolk club back-to-back promotions as they became the first team since Southampton in 2011 and 2012 to win successive promotions to the top flight from League One.
On Monday the team rode through Ipswich on an open-top bus, with thousands of fans turning out to celebrate.
Speaking to Sky News, fans described feelings of euphoria amid the celebrations, as others were enjoying a long weekend of non-stop celebrating.
“It’s been a really really long time coming,” one fan said.
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Paul Smith, who like many was on his second day of celebrating, said: “I’ve been lucky enough to live through an era of seeing the great times at Ipswich, but I dragged him [his son] along for many many years and I’m grateful his generation gets to see some great times as well.
“When you realise the teams we’re going to be playing it’s incredible.”
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Paul’s son Arthur said it was “euphoric” seeing his side promoted but admitted to feeling quite “jaded” from the celebrations.
It was also quite an emotional moment for some who shared a bond with the club with family members.
Adam Conuel, another fan, described the promotion in one word: “Unbelievable”.
He added: “My grandad passed away last year, we were quite close, he was a supporter all his life too, like my dad.”
He described the celebrations as “emotional” and said “look how many people are here, it’s crazy, I never thought in my lifetime… every conversation I’ve had with my grandpa used to be ‘we were rubbish weren’t we’ and he’s missed the past two years of us being unbelievable so it’s quite emotional to watch us.”
Again and again one name surfaced from fans out celebrating – their coach McKenna.
The 37-year-old Northern Irish manager has taken the English football league by storm in recent years, charging up to the Premier League.
A former Manchester United assistant manager, McKenna was praised repeatedly by fans for his handling of the club and his brand of attacking, and successful, football.
When he took charge of Ipswich, they were languishing in League One and now within three years he has catapulted them to the Premier League.
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Speaking on board the bus, McKenna told Sky Sports News: “It’s an incredible turnout, amazing seeing so much joy.
“Everyone deserves it, the whole town deserves it, the players … for how hard they’ve worked. And the supporters, who’ve followed so loyally for years and have been waiting for a day like this.
“We just set out to be as good as we could possibly be.
“The closer you get to the end you know you’re within reach of an amazing achievement and we’re so glad we were able to finish off well.”
A Scottish singer plucked from obscurity at the last minute to replace Olly Murs as the opening act for Take That in Glasgow has told Sky News he thought the life-changing opportunity was a “joke”.
Daniel Rooney, 26, was playing at the Radisson Red hotel opposite the OVO Hydro when news broke that Murs was forced to cancel his support act on Friday due to transport issues.
TV presenter Ross King, who was enjoying a family dinner at the hotel, was impressed with Mr Rooney’s vocals and recommended the singer to his friend and Take That frontman Gary Barlow.
With 30 minutes to go before the show was due to start, Mr Rooney was quickly whisked to the arena and opened the festivities with a range of upbeat cover songs.
Barlow later thanked him on Instagram.
Mr Rooney, from Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire, told Sky News he thought it was a wind-up at first.
He said: “I was thinking, ‘right, who’s trying to play a wee joke on me here’. But thankfully it wasn’t a joke and Ross King was saying, ‘I’ve got an opportunity of a lifetime here, Danny boy, so are you up for it?’
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“And I was.”
Mr Rooney started to feel a mixture of emotions on his way to the stage. As well as excitement, he began to feel apprehensive about what he was going to play.
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He said: “I was obviously buzzing just to get that news. It was just mental.
“I had a wee discussion with the boys from Take That, who were brilliant and really good with me.
“We just agreed on making it really fun and making the songs nice big singalongs.
“It was just really great. The crowd were brilliant, and they sang to every song and the feedback was magic.”
Mr Rooney paid tribute to Mr King for the opportunity and thanked him for his warm introduction onstage to explain the situation to the crowd.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr King said: “I was listening to [Mr Rooney] while I was having dinner and was very impressed – never thinking that 30 minutes later I’d be saying ‘come with me and support Take That’.
“Gary Barlow is one of my closest pals and I’ve known the band since 1990. When Gary called me and said ‘you’re going to have to go on, Olly is stuck in London’, I thought it was a wind-up. But no.”
Mr King agreed to go on, but then pitched the idea of Mr Rooney.
Mr King added: “Daniel was the coolest guy in the Hydro and played a blinder. I was thrilled to share the stage with him and help out my old mates too.
“I know this has made news all around the world, so I hope Daniel continues to have the success he deserves.”
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Murs apologised for cancelling his performance at short notice after falling foul of flight issues.
The former X Factor star said he had been at Heathrow from 11am ahead of his performance on Friday night, but the flight was cancelled after “several delays” and an accident with a cabin crew member.
He later shared a video of himself being driven to Glasgow for his Saturday and Sunday performances.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine programme on Monday, Murs paid tribute to Mr Rooney for holding his nerve and being able to perform in front of an arena crowd of thousands with just 30 minutes’ notice.
Murs said: “Fair play to him, that’s amazing. You know what, credit to him.”