Nadine Dorries standing down as Tory MP to trigger by-election

Hours before her dramatic announcement, Ms Dorries told TalkTV that “the last thing I would want to do would be to cause a by-election” in her seat.

Nadine Dorries said she is quitting as an MP with immediate effect (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

Rishi Sunak is facing a by-election after Nadine Dorries announced she is standing down as an MP “with immediate effect”.

The move comes after months-long speculation that the former culture secretary was to be handed a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, although recent reporting suggested the British government cut her from the list at the 11th hour to swerve an early election battle in her seat.