Nadine Vanessa Dorries (née Bargery; born 21 May 1957) is a British author and a former politician who served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2021 to 2022. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Bedfordshire from 2005 to 2023 for the Conservative Party.
Born in Liverpool to a working-class family, Dorries was raised in the city's district of Anfield and the nearby towns of Halewood and Runcorn. She began work as a trainee nurse in Warrington and subsequently became a medical representative. During her early career, she spent a year in Zambia as head of a community school. After returning to England, she founded Company Kids Ltd, which provided child day-care services for working parents. She sold the company in 1998. She was elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election for the Conservative safe seat of Mid Bedfordshire.
As a backbencher, Dorries introduced several unsuccessful private member's bills, including attempts to reduce the time limit for abortions in the UK and changes to the rules regarding counselling for the women involved, and the advocacy of sexual abstinence for girls in sex education. An opponent of John Bercow, she attempted to have him removed as Speaker of the House of Commons. She also clashed with David Cameron and George Osborne, describing them as "two arrogant posh boys". In 2012, she lost the Conservative whip after she took part in the reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! without informing the chief whip. The whip was returned in 2013 and she was re-admitted to the parliamentary party.
In July 2019, Boris Johnson appointed Dorries as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. In May 2020, she was promoted to a minister of state. In Johnson's cabinet reshuffle in September 2021, he promoted her to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Despite being invited to continue in the position, she resigned as Culture Secretary ahead of the formation of the Truss ministry, after Liz Truss took over from Johnson on 6 September 2022.
On 9 June 2023, Dorries announced her intention to stand down as an MP with immediate effect. She later changed her position, saying that she would not proceed with her resignation until she had received information relating to why she had been refused a peerage in Boris Johnson's resignation honours. Following mounting pressure, she formally vacated her seat on 29 August. Dorries had not spoken in the House of Commons since leaving the government in July 2022, or worked on any bill or select committees, and was criticised by both Tory and opposition MPs for allegedly abandoning her constituents.
Read more...The May 21, 1957 was a Tuesday under the star sign of ♉. It was the 140 day of the year. President of the United States was Dwight D. Eisenhower.
If you were born on this day, you are 68 years old. Your last birthday was on the Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 117 days ago. Your next birthday is on Thursday, May 21, 2026, in 247 days. You have lived for 24,954 days, or about 598,902 hours, or about 35,934,157 minutes, or about 2,156,049,420 seconds.
Date: 22 May 1957
By PAUL P. KENNEDY Special to The New York Times
Paul KENNEDY
Army takes control without violence; Cantave dissolves Council, calls for prov delegates conv to name Provisional Pres; curfew, censorship in effect; gen strike paralyzes Port-au-Prince
Date: 22 May 1957
Boston baseball writers back rule against women in press box by barring D O'Donnell (Cleveland News)
Date: 22 May 1957
By MAX FRANKEL Special to The New York Times
Max Special
Heads State Com for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
Date: 22 May 1957
By VAL ADAMS
Val ADAMS
forms business assn with S Caesar
Date: 22 May 1957
1,000 trade and transport execs tour, World Port Day
Date: 22 May 1957
Date: 21 May 1957
Reading RR installs three 50-ton cranes, Port Richmond