Tory MP Nadine Dorries suspended by party over appearance in I'm a Celebrity

Backbencher suspended over concerns show commitments will stop her doing constituency business

Tory MP Nadine Dorries may be preparing for her appearance in ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, but she's been suspended from her role due to fears it will prevent her doing parliamentary or constituency business.

The Mid-Bedfordshire backbencher was criticised heavily for signing up to the reality show, with Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston saying she should resign as it 'sends out the wrong message about why women are important in Parliament'.

According to a senior Conservative Party source, Dorries would remain suspended until she had a meeting with chief whip Sir George Young.

A Conservative spokesperson said: 'George Young has suspended the whip from Nadine Dorries. He will have an urgent meeting with her when she gets back.

'The concern is that she will not be doing parliamentary or constituency business in the meantime.'

Dorries, 55, has been a vocal critic of David Cameron, but by going into the jungle she could potentially miss an EU budget vote.

Some have expressed shock about how the normally diligent MP has decided to enter the jungle.

Paul Duckett, a Central Bedfordshire councillor and chairman of the Mid Bedfordshire Conservative Association, said: 'She is a very good constituency MP, she is very diligent and she spends a lot of time on the job and I'm quite surprised that she has decided to just go away and take part on the programme.'

However Dorries has justified her decision to take part. Speaking to The Sunnewspaper, she said: 'Im doing the show because 16 million people watch it. If people are watching I'm A Celebrity, that is where MPs should be going.

'I'm not going in there to upset people, but I have opinions.'

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