Nadine Vanessa Dorries (born Nadine Bargery on 21 May 1957) is a British politician who sits for the Conservative Party. She has represented the constituency of Mid Bedfordshire in the House of Commons since the general election of 2005.
Government posts
Dorries has held ministerial office in recent years. She served as a junior minister in the Department of Health and Social Care from 2019 until 2021, and was appointed Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2021 to 2022.
Notable events
- On 10 March 2020 she was reported to be the first sitting British MP to test positive for COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic.
- Dorries is widely regarded as a prominent supporter of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his time in office.
- In 2012 she temporarily lost the Conservative parliamentary whip after appearing on the reality television show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! without notifying the chief whip; the whip was restored and she rejoined the parliamentary party in 2013.
Profile
Across her parliamentary career Dorries has been a high-profile and sometimes controversial figure, known for outspoken views and a willingness to use media appearances to reach a wider audience. Her ministerial roles involved responsibilities in public health and later in areas covering culture, media and digital policy.