Nadine Dorries admits No 10’s Covid preparation was ‘wanting and inadequate’ in attack on Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt has been accused of “duplicity” by Nadine Dorries after he criticised the Prime Minister ahead of a confidence vote.

Mr Hunt – one of Boris Johnson’s most prominent potential leadership rivals – said on Monday he would be voting against the Prime Minister, and that the decision facing the Conservative Party was “change or lose” the next election.

“Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer and more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values,” he said.

“Today’s decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.”

His statement was met with fury from Ms Dorries, the Culture Secretary, who has been one of Mr Johnson’s fiercest cheerleaders since being promoted to the Cabinet in last September’s reshuffle.

She accused him of failing to prepare properly for the Covid pandemic and said Jeremy Corbyn would have won the last election if he had been Conservative Party leader.

“Your handling of the pandemic would have been a disaster,” she wrote. “Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate.

“Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so.”

Ms Dorries added that Mr Hunt had told her he would “swoop in” if the Government was to “swiftly collapse on the back of Brexit”.

“If you had been leader you’d have handed the keys of No 10 to Corbyn,” she said. “You’ve been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now.”

She also said that Mr Hunt, whose wife is Chinese, had recommended following that country’s example in dealing with the Covid pandemic, with cases “removed from their homes and placed into isolation hotels for two weeks”.

Mr Hunt and Mr Johnson were the final two candidates in the 2019 Tory leadership race, and he has been an occasional critic of government policy from the backbenches and in his role as chair of the health and social care select committee.

If another leadership race is triggered, he is widely expected to run again, and is already thought to be canvassing for support among Conservative MPs.

In his statement on Monday, he said that “this was not a debate [he] wanted to have now” because of the war in Ukraine, “but under our rules we must do that”.

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

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

Conservative MPs are submitting ballots in the confidence vote on Monday evening between 6pm and 8pm.

The result will be announced by Sir Graham Brady, the 1922 Committee chairman, shortly afterwards.