Ukip casts its shadow: Nadine Dorries brought back into Tory fold
Nadine Dorries was finally reinstated as an MP today, amid rumours of a possible defection to Ukip.
In a move which some saw as a panicked reaction to the success of the fringe eurosceptic party, the Mid-Bedfordshire MP had the whip returned following a meeting with Sir George Young.
Dorries had the whip removed after she flew to Australia to take part in I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here without notifying Conservative officials.
The move did little to endear her to senior Tory figures, particularly after she called David Cameron and George Osborne "arrogant posh boys" – a line gleefully adopted by Ed Miliband.
Several commentators and Tory MPs suggested the response to her comments was much more draconian than that given to other MPs who criticised the leadership. Some even suggested the difference in treatment was evidence of sexism.
The anti-abortion MP, who won Politics.co.uk's 'Best MP on Twitter' award last year, is possibly the most well known parliamentarian in Westminster, especially after her stint on the ITV programme brought her into the homes of millions of viewers.
Her profile was sufficient to concern the Tory hierarchy, who feared she could do the leadership more damage as a highly-visible Ukip candidate than as a troublemaker inside the parliamentary party.
