Nadine Dorries criticises Jeremy Hunt over 'vote for change' call

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has accused Jeremy Hunt of "destabilising the country" after the Tory MP confirmed he would vote against Boris Johnson in a confidence vote.

Ms Dorries tweeted Mr Hunt was serving his own personal ambition after the widely-tipped leadership contender said he was "voting for change".

Tory MPs will vote on Monday night.

If the prime minister loses the vote, he will have to resign as the Conservative Party leader and a leadership election will follow.

Ms Dorries tweeted: "Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so...

"You've been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now."

The culture secretary also accused Mr Hunt - who lost against Mr Johnson in the 2019 Tory leadership contest - of telling her the government would collapse after Brexit and he would "swoop in".

She added that when she was health minister, Mr Hunt told her the government should follow the pandemic response of China with mandatory two-week stays in quarantine hotels for infected people.

Ms Dorries also took aim at Mr Hunt over his preparedness for a pandemic when he served as health secretary from 2012 to 2018.

"Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate," she said.

Asked about her comments, Ms Dories told the BBC: "It's nothing I want to say, but I'm incredibly disappointed that Jeremy Hunt - who said throughout 'I'm not going to challenge the prime minister while there's a war in Ukraine' - has come out and challenged the prime minister on the day Russia sends rockets into Kiev."

BBC political editor Chris Mason said Ms Dorries has incensed some MPs and her comments are tempting some to vote against the prime minister - because they feel they come with his endorsement.

But our political editor said one MP said he would not vote for Mr Hunt in a future leadership contest because he has attempted "to wield the knife on the PM" and many colleagues felt the same way.

Mr Hunt has been contacted for comment.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Hunt said because of the war in Ukraine he did not want the party to have a leadership contest, but that the party was "set to lose the next general election" if it did not change leader.

He said: "Having been trusted with power, Conservative MPs know in our hearts we are not giving the British people the leadership they deserve.

"We are not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary to unleash the enormous potential of our country."