Nadine Dorries: Anger over Boris Johnson’s health minister appointment

‘On the shortlist of people most unfit to hold government office ever,’ says Labour peer

Nadine Dorries’ appointment as a junior health minister in Boris Johnson’s government has been met with anger and bafflement from parts of the left.

The Tory MP has previously caused controversy with remarks criticised by some as racially insensitive.

She has also been condemned for repeatedly calling for abortion time limits to be cut from 24 weeks to 20 weeks.

“It beggars belief that the UK government now has a health minister who supported calls to cut the time limit for abortions,” said Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine.

“This appointment rounds off the now far-right Boris Johnson circus that is the UK government. People deserve better, and the Liberal Democrats demand better.

“Women across the country must have immediate assurances that Ms Dorries’ views on women’s reproductive rights never get close to becoming government policy. I will be writing to the secretary of state seeking that commitment.”

In May 2018 Ms Dorries was condemned for saying a Uganda-born British journalist, who criticised the royal wedding, should appreciate the country she has “chosen” to benefit from.

The Mid Bedfordshire MP questioned why Yasmin Alibhai-Brown could not “just try and be nice” after the former Independent columnist took to Twitter to voice her disillusionment with the event and what it said about modern Britain.

At the time, Labour MP Rupa Huq told The Independent that Ms Dorries needed to “leave [her] racism at the door”.

Ms Dorries’ promotion on Saturday prompted a flurry of dismayed tweets from left-wing figures.

“I feel ill,” said Labour MP David Lammy.

Peer Andrew Adonis said he could not conceive how any civil servant could work for Ms Dorries.

“On the shortlist of people most unfit to hold government office ever,” he added.

Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who has since been expelled from the party, described Ms Dorries as “ill-qualified” for the role.

“That she is a minister underlines both how right wing this government now is and how the ill-qualified new PM wishes to be surrounded by equally ill-qualified ministers,” he said.

In September 2018 Ms Dorries shared a post on Twitter from a supporter of the far-right anti-Islam party For Britain, which suggested Muslim men in polygamous marriages can receive state handouts for each of their wives.

She accompanied it with the comment: “Ministers, are you having a laugh?”, before deleting it 11 minutes later.

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In contrast to the opposition reaction, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, welcomed Ms Dorries to government and said he was “looking forward” to working with her.

He added that she would be serving as the minister for mental health.

Brexit supporters Zac Goldsmith, Simon Clarke and James Duddridge were all also made junior ministers on Saturday.

The number of Brexiteers promoted to government has surprised some in Westminster.

Jeremy Corbyn accused the prime minister of having “hastily thrown together a hard-right cabinet” on Thursday, during a tense exchange in the Commons.

Ms Dorries has been contacted for comment.

Additional reporting by agencies