Dear Tom
I have decided to stand for the Chair of the Health Select Committee and would like to ask for your vote on Wednesday.
I have never held any front bench ambition and have been labelled a ‘rebel’; however, I prefer to regard myself as principled, which I think is an ideal quality for a Committee Chair.
With ten years nursing experience within the NHS, a former union member and a natural leaning to towards all health related issues; I feel I can bring a prior knowledge, passion and understanding to the Chair. As a single mother of three daughters and someone who in recent years has taken full responsibility for two terminally ill elderly relatives, I also bring practical first hand experience of what it is like to be on the receiving end, both as a patient and a carer.
I have no outside interests and would commit myself fully to the role.
However, I understand you will have concerns with regard to my standing and this email is to alleviate what I believe may be your primary concern.
I want to provide you with my absolute, solemn word and undertaking, should I be successful, that in no way whatsoever will I use the position in order to further my campaign of the last Parliament, to reduce the upper limit at which abortion takes place.
This is because my own personal belief in this area is beyond persuasion and I would find it very difficult to remain objective. Any report produced by a Committee which I chaired regarding any area of abortion would be weakened by my Chairmanship and subject to claims of bias, regardless of the evidence.
My own health interests lie in the areas of maternal health, childhood obesity, mental health (particularly teenagers), depression, breast cancer and all aspects of care delivery.
I also give you my word that I will attempt to ensure that all members of the committee leave party politics at the door. That the Committee works truly and wholly on behalf of the people. That we challenge thoroughly, deeply and analytically every major health policy decision brought forward by the coalition government.
The next few years are going to bring budget cuts. David Cameron promised real term spending increases for health. I intend to help him stick to that promise.
The structure of the new Committees will provide us with an opportunity to embrace democracy in a way which in the past has become damaged and eroded.
It would be my wish to ensure that every member of the committee found it an exciting, interesting and career enhancing experience and wanted to attend each sitting, rather than looking for a reason to be absent.
Yours as ever,
Nadine
18 comments ↓
I would ask her the following question- ‘Do you still have a close working relationship with the fundamentalist christian, homophobic, anti abortion lobby group, Christian Concern for Our Nation. Are they still providing you with admin support, researchers, website design- and if so how do you propose managing this clear conflict of interest?
Well done, Tom.
It is my sad duty to inform you that Nadine Dorries is lying about her front bench ambitions: http://bit.ly/ayR3rz
Oh Jesus no!
Have rushed out a few thoughts and questions on this remarkable bid -> HERE.
I hope you’re going to say a resounding “no”. If ever there was an MP who’s demonstrated that she’s unfit for office, it’s Nadine Dorries. The idea of her as the chair of any Select Committee is scary enough, but Health…!
I think this website adequately describes my feelings on the matter:
http://nooooooooooooooo.com/
[...] Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire, has 10 years’ nursing experience but also comes with a history of campaigning of the last Parliament to reduce the upper limit at which abortion takes place – though she has pledged to drop this if elected – while Sir Paul Beresford, MP for Mole Valley, is a dentist and ex-leader of Wandsworth Council, the Thatcherite flagship of the 1980s. [...]
@ Lisa Ansell: I’m no fan of Mad Nads but people like you who have bugger all knowledge of Christianity and wouldn’t know what a “fundamentalist” is if one came marching up to you in scarlet knickers have f*** all business describing CCFON in the terms that you have done.
Sunny Hundal should think long and hard before he allows ignorami like you to embarass themselves and his website by publishing your adolescent scribblings.
With Andrew Lansley in control of the Department of Health the future of the NHS is limited anyway. The Tory plans are to turn the NHS in to a commissioning-only organisation, that is, they want to replace NHS providers (hospitals) with private providers. This is the Orange Book solution too. So your local NHS hospital will become Nuffield, Capio, Ramsay or Circle, and make a profit for already well-paid doctors, taking money away from services.
Oh you didn’t notice any reference to a commitment to NHS providers (ie keeping services in NHS hospitals) in Dorries’ letter? Funny that. As the Health Select Committee we need someone who will stand up for NHS hospitals and fight Lansley’s privatisations.
I am sorry to inform you that Dorries letter to you is not “fact” She did not reach the status of SRN ( I have a relation that worked in the same Hospital as she did) her “fantasy stories” about what she actually witnessed as a Nurse is beyond my comprehension.
I have followed this MP.s blog since 2005 as I was born and bred in Liverpool and she has told many untue stories. I have kept some of those blogs as they astounded me. I do not know how she has the gall to write to you ! I hope you will take notice of the many things she has said and done in the past including saying some pretty nasty things about MPs of both parties.
I do know people who are keen to write to Cameron and inform him of the many things she has said which are simply not true.
Note: I’m afraid that I do not have the capacity to verify the nursing status of Nadine Dorries. I’m going to take you at your word on this as you have provided what looks like a verifiable email address.
I’m happy to publish a clarification if one is required.
I do hope that you look into the nursing background of this particular MP !! Without doubt she is not suitable ,
In fact it was a sad day for Mid Beds when she was elected.
UPDATE FROM TOM
I’ve just received what I take to be an ironic message in an email from Nadine Dorries: “Thanks Tom. Really nice of you!”
Notwithstanding the fact that it shows a graceless ignorance of the misery she helped cause last year, with her dastardly attempt to draw me into the Damian McBride affair; thereby unleashing a miserable intrusion into my family’s privacy as well as neighbour’s bin bags, her message has drawn me to look at the comments to this post in more detail.
Obviously I’m not going to vote for Nadine Dorries. And her unsolicited email is, in my view, so ridiculous it warrants public ridicule and parody but I don’t want to abuse her. And I don’t want this site used to abuse her.
I’d be grateful if you could do your best to keep the comments as positive as possible. And if you can’t keep them positive, at least do your best to keep them free of abuse. If your comments do not appear above, it’s because I’ve deleted them before publishing, for the rather obvious reason that they were not very nice.
Sarcastic, Tom, not ironic. Though I will grant the presence of irony on a number of fronts.
Incidentally, Nadine Dorries seeks cross party support when she herself has only nominated MPs from her own party http://bit.ly/d7s4dn
(That’s not irony, BTW… it’s hypocrisy.)
Tom Watson you are a disgrace. The only reason why you have put this letter up is out of fear that a woman may be in a position of authority. You should be ashamed. If you did not want to ridicule her then you should remove this post completely
Tim – how’s it going with the harassment of Ms Dorries; I read in the papers you excelled yourself over the election attending one of her meetings uninvited and then broadcasting it over the internet:
1. Why were you there?you are not even a constituent.
2. Who do you think actually cares about a meeting of with an MP of another constituency?is that really responsible journalism…if it’s not, then my legal background highlights some knowledge that suggests, she may have a case.
Just some food for thought. oh and these questions are all rhetorical; I am a recent Labour member from LD and set up a labour ‘google alert’. I have a career, and do not have time for this ignorant and uninformed nonsense.. Just what others would expect from a labour MP – and his activists – I suppose.
I’ve tried to keep this free of abuse, but what an obnoxious, patronising [Redacted]
I reject everything you say, Rosie. Every scrap of it is a load of blinkered, baseless nonsense.
But to answer your questions, I do not have to be invited to a public meeting, and I do not have to be a constituent to call Nadine Dorries to account, especially when she seeks a role such as Chair of the Health Select Committee.
PS – Next time you don’t have the time, don’t waste ours.
The comment by Rosie that the only reason you have put this letter from Dorries up is—a fear that a woman maybe in a position of authority is nonsense. There are many worthy women MPs ( too many to mention here )
The “fear” is that Dorries would be elected for this particular position is the “greatest fear here”
I have kept her blog statement re “the abortion” and present when SHE gave a Doctor orders—-I’m going for the crash team ( a foetus aborted and gasping for breath ) and so much inconsistent medical information that I find incredible ( and I did check having a relation who rose to Matron status. )
I also cannot take this MP seriously when she will waffle on about stupid things ie wearing shoes that cost 500 pound at a time when many people are struggling .
I think Rosie needs to look back into past blog stories.
No sorry I cannnot agree that Tom Watson has any problem with a woman having this position.
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