Nadine Dorries: Is the Commons watchdog about to step in?
By Ian Dunt and Alex GangitanoFollow @alexgangitano
The parliamentary standards watchdog was primed to start an inquiry into Nadine Dorries today, after it received a complaint about her decision to appear on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
The complaint was made yesterday, but the commissioner has not yet made a decision as to whether to launch an inquiry.
Dorries was suspended from the Tory party for going on the month-long programme, during which she will miss important Commons votes but still pick up her MPs' salary.
But an inquiry in to her decisions would raise question about another high-profile MP who rarely attends the Commons – Gordon Brown.
The former prime minister has been into Westminster only a handful of time since 2010, much to the irritation and amusement of Conservative MPs.
The development comes as front bench Tories joined the chorus of disapproval against Dorries.
"I think we'd rather have her in the House of Commons," health secretary Jeremy Hunt told ITV.
"A lot of people are very worried about it. We want MPs where they should be voting in the Commons.
William Hague said the row paled into insignificance given his duties as foreign secretary.
"It's a decision for her, I'm dealing with things all over the world," he said.
"We're concerned with the war in Afghanistan, the situation in Syria. So these things seem quite minor from that perspective."
I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here is filmed in the jungle in Australia. The first episode of the new series is broadcast on Sunday.
