Ex-cabinet member Nadine Dorries lashes out at Eastleigh MP on social media

The pair exchanged barbs on X, formerly known as Twitter, with Dorries comparing him to her middle child.

“You are the age of my middle child, who has considerably better manners than you,” wrote Dorries after Mr Holmes insinuated it was her fault the Tories lost their majority in her former constituency.

The spat began when the former Culture Secretary took to X to blast the Prime Minister for saying that local factors led to a Tory defeat in her former constituency.

Writing on X, Dorries said: “A worthy leader owns it.

“He apologises and looks for a way to do better.

“What he doesn’t do is pathetically blame anyone or anything other than himself.”

The post was accompanied by a photo of the PM.

Dorries quit as an MP from her Mid-Bedfordshire seat earlier this year, a position she had held since 2005, with Labour gaining control of the constituency at a by-election on October 19.

Mr Holmes, who has been the conservative MP for Eastleigh since 2019, replied to this by commenting: “Of course it had nothing to do with her…”

Dorries replied: “Just like your election had nothing to do with you and everything to do with the man who won you your seat.

“A lesson you are about to learn the hard way.

“How’s the CV coming along?”

In response to this and defending his position, Mr Holmes replied: “Unlike you Nadine I work my seat, I work hard for them, and haven’t been AWOL for months and then pretend it has nothing to do with me.

“My CV is good thanks, unlike you I understood how channel 4 was funded and worked and aren’t as unpleasant as you were to colleagues. I’ll call that a win.”

The former cabinet member responded: “You are the age of my middle child, who has considerably better manners than you.

“Since school, you were a politics student and have spent your entire short working life in politics.

“I was a nurse in the NHS for 10 years. I established, from an original idea, my own successful business, which I then sold.

“I’ve spent 35 years in politics, as an activist, a Spad, and then 19 as an MP and at each of the 5 general elections I fought, my majority increased.

“I served as a Chairwoman, a health minister during Covid and a SoS. I’m also a best selling author of almost 3m books.

“Your seat was gifted to you.

“You have no idea what a hard day’s work looks like.

“My last communication with you, but I’ll leave you with the most important political lesson of all – you can’t beat the swing.

“Good luck job hunting. I wish you well.”

The pair refrained from making any further comments.