Nadine Dorries says she still intends to resign as an MP – amid claims she is holding up the process as she looks for answers over the decision not to grant her a peerage.
In a Twitter thread, the former culture secretary responded to the “speculation” as to why she is yet to formally quit the Commons, after announcing her intention to do so on Friday.
She said she is “awaiting responses” to information she has requested from the House of Lords Appointments Committee (HOLAC), the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and the Cabinet Office.
She said: “I have requested copies of WhatsApp’s, text messages, all emails and minutes of meetings both formal and informal with names of senior figures unredacted.”
She added: “It is absolutely my intention to resign, but given what I know to be true and the number of varying and conflicting statements issued by No10 since the weekend, this process is now sadly necessary.”
It comes after Ms Dorries claimed she was “bullied” out of her peerage by Number 10.
There has been speculation she is delaying her formal resignation as an MP to prolong the political pain for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The dates of the by-elections caused by the resignations of Boris Johnson and his ally Nigel Adams are due to be announced this week, but it is understood the contest in Ms Dorries’s seat of Mid Bedfordshire will happen at a later date because she has not formally resigned.