“Nadine Dorries, the new Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, was parachuted into the constituency at the last minute by Conservative Central Office, just as she was parachuted into Hazel Grove (to the fury of local Tories) shortly before the 2001 election.

Why, we asked, is she always first choice for the parachute jump when Tory HQ in London decides to despatch its own candidate?……..

Nadine Dorries’s children were until recently classmates at Ampleforth College (one of the leading Catholic schools in the country, recently embarassed by a sexually deviant teacher!) with the children of one Trish Morris. As fellow parents Trish and Nadine got to know each other rather well.

And who is Trish?

Under her more formal moniker of Baroness Morris, she is vice-chairman of the Conservative party in charge of candidate selection!

First published in 2005