Nadine Dorries book and Dr No: The Plot thickens

Nadine Dorries' latest book The Plot claims that British politics is controlled, not by the voters, but by a shady faction, who have been at the heart of the Conservative Party for more than 20 years, pulling strings, pushing agendas and toppling leaders.

The former culture secretary - and staunch ally of Boris Johnson - names some members of the alleged group.

Others are disguised by, presumably lawyer-approved, nicknames.

There is a Thumper, a Bambi, a Miss Moneypenny and most sinister of all - Dr No.

The original Dr No was an early James Bond villain, a ruthless scientist who is boiled to death when he falls into a reactor coolant.

The Dr No portrayed in Ms Dorries' book is equally sinister, a man who has had a hand in undermining past prime ministers including Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

According to the book, he is paid by the Conservative Party, has a pass to Downing Street and "Rishi Sunak doesn't move without first seeking his advice".

He is described as "a man with a secretive past" who "loves violence" and who once chopped up a pet rabbit after breaking up with a girlfriend.

There is also a claim that he tried to set fire to a house when people were sleeping inside.

Since the book's publication, Westminster has been rife with speculation about the identity of Dr No.

All manner of names are being bandied about - some more likely than others. But so far Ms Dorries - who resigned as an MP in August - has kept everyone guessing.

She has dropped a few hints, however.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said he is part of a "small group of men" who have "been involved with the party since the late 1990s - at every stage, whether Theresa May, David Cameron, Iain Duncan Smith".

"Liz Truss is the only person who didn't have any of them close to her because she knew about them."

She says the group has its origins in the Federation of Conservative Students, an organisation closed down in 1986 by then party chairman Norman Tebbit because of its radical views and occasionally raucous behaviour.

Although Dr No is not named in the book others are.

Ms Dorries says Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, ex-No 10 senior adviser Dominic Cummings and Conservative Party adviser Dougie Smith are all part of the club. Mr Smith is also the husband of Munira Mirza, a close ally of Boris Johnson, until she quit.

Mr Johnson was forced to resign, after mass resignations from his own ministers. It followed scandals over Covid rule-breaking and the appointment of Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip.

Asked about the book on the Nick Robinson Political Thinking podcast, Mr Gove said: "It is very flattering - she makes me sound like Severus Snape."

He added that he hadn't read the book but that Ms Dorries was "a gifted writer".

Mr Cummings posted his tongue-in-cheek response on social media: "She's right, there was a giant conspiracy including MI6, the CIA and, most crucially, the KGB special operations department, it's a tribute to Nadine she has figured this out, the Movement wishes her well."

It is worth pointing out that Mr Cummings has himself said that he started discussing the possibility of ousting his-then boss Boris Johnson as early as January 2020, less than a month after Mr Johnson won a landslide victory.

The Conservative Party is not commenting on the accusations.

Given, Ms Dorries claims Dr No is responsible for undermining democracy, why doesn't she name him?

She said that she didn't believe Dr No would have sued her but instead would have put an injunction on the book.

She insisted the book would "have passed" that process but that it would have delayed publication by six to nine months and that she wanted it out as quickly as possible.

She added that it was probably "the most legalled book since Spycatcher" - the memoir of a former MI5 officer which, among other revelations, describe a plot to remove Harold Wilson as prime minister.

Unless Ms Dorries does decide to name Dr No, the debate about his identity will continue to rage.

Could it turn out to be the person everyone least suspects, like Keyser Söze in the film, Usual Suspects? Or maybe it is a collective term for a group of people, Murder on the Orient Express-style?

Or perhaps, as some have suggested, it is purely a plot device created from the imagination of Ms Dorries, who as has been pointed out is a successful writer of novels.

Age: 66

Occupation: She worked as a nurse but later wrote a series of bestselling novels based on her upbringing in Liverpool.

Politics: In 2001, she got a job as a special adviser to a Conservative shadow minister. In 2005, she was elected MP for Mid Bedfordshire and rose up the political ladder becoming culture secretary in 2021.

Family: In 1984 she married Paul Dorries. She has three daughters.