Mid-Bedfordshire MP’s delay in officially resigning is “frustrating” as a constituent, but the Conservative candidate said he is using the extra time to share his message.
He added that Boris Johnson is “not even an issue any more” and that it’s time to move on.
The news comes as the Conservatives lost two key areas in last night’s by-elections, having majorities of around 20,000 for Labour to win Selby and Ainsty and the Lib Dems winning Somerton and Frome.
The Conservatives did hold on to Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip but with onl7 495 votes between them and Labour.
Despite the losses and shrinking majority in a Tory stronghold, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has remained defiant and says the next general election is “not a done deal”
However, attention is now turning towards Mid Bedfordshire as the “has she resigned or not” watch continues in Nadine Dorries’ constituency.
Ms Dorries announced on Twitter that she was resigning with immediate effect back in June, but has yet to officially stand down.
Read: By-election triggered in Mid Beds as Tory MP Nadine Dorries quits
In the meantime, she continues to receive an MP salary, despite not speaking in Parliament since over a year ago, the day Johnson resigned as Prime Minister, 7 July 2022.
She has however voted on seven bills and made four written statements in this time, published a book, written a regular column for the Daily Mail and hosted a regular TV show for TalkTV.
Before her resignation, Ms Dorries told TalkTV that “the last thing I would want to do would be to cause a by-election” in her seat.
Her delay in resigning has left candidates for the next Mid Bedfordshire MP in limbo. None more so than Conservative candidate, Festus Akinbusoye who was recently asked by the BBC’s Local Democracy Service if by delaying her resignation Ms Dorries was harming his chances.
“I don’t,” he said. “Ultimately it would be what people decide when they vote.
“I am using [the] time to just get the message out there about what I want to do if I’m elected as a member of parliament.”
But is this delay frustrating him at all?
“It frustrates me as a constituent, she is my MP so I totally share the frustration of the people of Mid Bedfordshire,” he said.
“I certainly want us to go ahead with the by-election as soon as possible.
“But look, I have a good working relationship with her like I have with the other MPs and councillors of different political parties in Bedfordshire as [police and crime commissioner].
“I don’t have any special powers or levers to pull over Ms Dorries,” he said.
Ms Dorries gave Mr Akinbusoye a glowing reference when he was selected as a candidate, describing him as “one of the best people I know” and that he was “genuine, principled with a track record of delivery”.
But it was reported by the Independent (15 June) that she warned that Conservative MPs who support the privileges committee’s “Partygate” findings were “fundamentally not” Conservative and would be “held to account” – and warned that “de-selections may follow”.
So, does Mr Akinbusoye back Boris Johnson?
“As far as I’m aware it’s members of the party associations who choose to re-adopt MP’s not CCHQ [Conservative Campaign Headquarters], not Number 10. [It] is entirely down to local associations,” he said.
“But of course, Nadine has her own views about things, and I respect that.”
He added: “Boris is not even an issue any more, he’s not an MP, he’s not in Parliament any more,” Mr Akinbusoye replied.
“He doesn’t make policy for anyone in Mid Bedfordshire, and I think we need to move on.
“Rather than looking back at the past. let’s look at the future and what we can do for Mid Bedfordshire and make this a really good place for people to want to live in,” he said.
Ms Dorries’ office was approached for a comment but did not respond by the time of publication. Ms Dorries has not responded to a Bedford Independent enquiry for almost five years.
Additional reporting by
John Guinn, Local Democracy Reporter
