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Nadine Dorries claims that she was informed by the Government that she has violated ministerial regulations by not giving them a pre-release copy of her upcoming book about Boris Johnson’s downfall.
According to the Daily Mail, the ex-culture secretary claimed that the Cabinet Office attempted to prevent the November 9 publication by withholding a copy from her.
According to the Radcliffe regulations, government officials must give up all official materials upon leaving their position.
Ministers who plan to release personal accounts must also hand in their draft manuscripts to the Cabinet Secretary well in advance of publication.
However, Ms Dorries clarified that The Plot: The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson should not be considered a memoir and does not contain any information related to policy or official secrets.
According to the Mail, Ms. Dorries declined to release a transcript, citing concerns that Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, who is mentioned negatively in the book, would have the ability to review its contents. Despite receiving legal counsel, she stood by her decision not to share the transcript.
The Mail reported that Ms Dorries received a letter from the Cabinet Office just before her book was published in the paper. The letter stated, “Despite multiple requests, we have not received a copy of your book or a transcript from you or your publisher. Therefore, we have to view this as a violation of the Radcliffe Rules.”
Please be aware that this may be considered if you are ever being considered for an honor (such as a peerage) or a public appointment.
Ms Dorries dramatically quit as an MP earlier this year after she was denied a peerage in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours.
Her book had been scheduled for release on September 28 – shortly before the start of the Conservative Party conference in early October – but publisher HarperCollins later announced the date would be pushed back.
The reason for the delay was to accommodate the large amount of material the author used, the numerous high-level sources that were consulted, and the necessary legal procedures for sharing her story.
The Mail is publishing the book in installments before its scheduled release on November 9. The first part, released on Friday, focuses on accusations against an unidentified “shadowy Tory” individual.
The text mentions suspected arson, questionable documents, and a rumor about the unnamed person having their ex-girlfriend’s younger brother’s pet rabbit killed and displayed on their front door in a Mafia-like fashion.
The Cabinet Office and HarperCollins, the book’s publisher, have been reached out to for their response.
Source: independent.co.uk
