Variety: U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries Resigns

Story from Variety:

U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has formally resigned, less than a year into her role.

Dorries told ITV News that she’d been offered to stay in the role by the country’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss, but decided to pass “after a lot of soul-searching.” It’s still unclear whether Dorries will relinquish her position as a member of parliament.

Dorries was named culture secretary in a major cabinet shake up in September 2021. She replaced Oliver Dowden.

Her time as culture secretary has been fraught with a string of gaffes. Last year, in a government select committee hearing, Dorries — who has been supporting the bid to privatize “It’s a Sin” broadcaster Channel 4 — appeared not to know how the U.K. broadcaster is funded, stating that it was “in receipt of public money,” when in fact Channel 4 is publicly owned but funded by advertising.

Dorries, a former romance novelist, has served as a Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire since 2005. Prior to serving as culture secretary, she served as Minister for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety. However, she is best known in the U.K. for a controversial 12-day stint on ITV’s reality juggernaut “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” in 2012.

U.K. leadership is in yet another transition period as former Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was on Monday named prime minister, replacing Boris Johnson.

Truss becomes the U.K.’s third female prime minister, following Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

In her speech she thanked “my friend” Johnson. “You got Brexit done. You crushed Jeremy Corbyn. You rolled out the vaccine and you stood up to Putin.”

Truss, who was the secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, and Rishi Sunak, who was previously Chancellor of the Exchequor, were both frontrunners for the job.