Truss-Backer Dorries Accuses Sunak of Leading 'Coup' Against Johnson
11:55 GMT 28.07.2022 (Updated: 13:58 GMT 28.08.2022)
© AFP 2023 / JUSTIN TALLIS / Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (2nd from right) applauds Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he makes his resignation statement in front of 10 Downing Street on July 7, 2022
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Rishi Sunak announced his resignation from Johnson's cabinet on July 5, just minutes after health secretary Sajid Javid. That prompted a walk-out by dozens of ministers and parliamentary private secretaries from the government, forcing Johnson to announce he was stepping down 48 hours later.
A top supporter of Liz Truss for next Tory leader has accused her rival Rishi Sunak of orchestrating a "coup" against Boris Johnson.
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Nadine Dorries reluctantly told Sky News' Kay Burley on Thursday morning that MPs made a "huge mistake" in forcing out the much-criticised yet still-popular Prime Minister.
"It is not a secret that things happened that shouldn't have happened, and that Boris Johnson was removed via a coup," Dorries said, while trying to steer conversation back to the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which she was attending.
“Boris Johnson was removed via a coup”
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) July 28, 2022
We asked Culture Secretary @NadineDorries to what extent she blamed Rishi Sunak for the Prime Minister’s demise… 👇👇👇#ToryLeadershipRace #KayBurley LT pic.twitter.com/gnFbFp4YWu
Then-chancellor of the exchequer Sunak announced his resignation from Johnson's cabinet on the late afternoon of July 5, just minutes after health secretary Sajid Javid and in time to be reported on the early evening news. Their quitting precipitated a walk-out by dozens of ministers and parliamentary private secretaries from the government, forcing Johnson to announce he was stepping down 48 hours later.
In another interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari, Dorries took the opportunity offered by Ferrari to attack Sunak for constantly interrupting Truss in a recent debate, saying all woman MPs were used to being "talked down to" by male colleagues
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries says 'mansplaining' by Rishi Sunak at a Tory leadership debate 'was not a good look.'@NickFerrariLBC pic.twitter.com/QXEmlVW1wz
— LBC (@LBC) July 28, 2022
And she dismissed rumours that she was ready to step down from her Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary seat, which she has held since 2005, to let Johnson take over from her.
That was based on speculation that the PM's majority of 7,210 in his suburban London Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency was not safe enough to ensure him a place in the next Parliament.
A laughing Dorries said the story was "100 per cent, nuclear-grade, totally invented tosh".
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries says reports she will give up her safe Tory seat to Boris Johnson to allow him to make a political return as '100% nuclear grade, totally invented tosh'.@NickFerrariLBC pic.twitter.com/C9N2DYrJOG
— LBC (@LBC) July 28, 2022
