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| Nadine Dorries MP 'set to be in I'm a Celebrity' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Conservative MP Nadine Dorries is reportedly set to take part in ITV1's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. | Conservative MP Nadine Dorries is reportedly set to take part in ITV1's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. |
| Ms Dorries, 55, who represents Mid Bedfordshire, would be the first MP to take part in the programme. | Ms Dorries, 55, who represents Mid Bedfordshire, would be the first MP to take part in the programme. |
| But she has already faced criticism after newspapers reported she will take part in the show, which will see her fly to Australia for up to a month. | |
| If she is successful in the show she could miss important votes and the chancellor's Autumn Statement. | |
| The line-up of those taking part in the ITV show has yet to be officially announced. | |
| However, the Daily Mail reported that Ms Dorries had already arrived in Queensland, Australia for the show. | |
| She told the newspaper she was taking part in order to raise awareness of issues she is interested in, such as reducing the time limit on abortions from 24 weeks to 20 weeks. | |
| "I'm doing the show because 16 million people watch it. Rather than MPs talking to other MPs about issues in Parliament, I think MPs should be going to where people go. | |
| "I'm not going in there to upset people, but I have opinions. There are certain causes that I'm interested in, one of which is '20 Weeks'. | |
| Twitter response | |
| "I will be talking about this issue around the campfire. I hope there will be some lively, heated debates." | |
| Former Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik, who took part in the show in 2010 after losing his seat, tweeted his support for Ms Dorries: "Good on Nadine Dorries for the jungle if she's really going in. Go gal!" | |
| But others have been less supportive. Former Tory MP Louise Mensch, who recently resigned from the Commons for family reasons, tweeted: "Nothing sadder than a politician, or ex-politician, on any of those shows. | |
| "Just imagining the scene in the whips' office if I said I wanted to skip Parliament for weeks to go on a celebrity TV show." | |
| The Taxpayers' Alliance, which lobbies for lower taxes and greater government efficiency, said: "While she is being a Z-list celebrity, her constituents will be without an MP." | |
| Defending herself against a backlash, Ms Dorries told the Daily Mail: "I've worked seven years as an MP and I've never taken a day off work in Parliamentary time. I've worked all through recess and I only had four days off this summer. | |
| "Parliament is in half-term while I'm there. I've not done anything to prepare for the jungle. I worked right up until I left the UK for Australia." |