Nadine Dorries has accused Rishi Sunak of endangering her safety by “whipping up a public frenzy” after announcing she has finally quit as an MP.

The former culture secretary revealed that police officers had visited her home last week to warn her of a threat to her personal security.

In an extraordinary resignation statement she also lashed out at the Prime Minister, saying that he had abandoned Conservative principles. 

“What exactly has been done or have you achieved? You hold the office of Prime Minister unelected, without a single vote, not even from your own MPs,” she asked him.  

“You have no mandate from the people, and the Government is adrift. You have squandered the goodwill of the nation, for what?”

Ms Dorries, a close ally of Boris Johnson, announced in June that she would leave her Mid-Bedfordshire seat with “immediate effect” but then failed to do so. 

She had faced growing criticism from within the Tory party over her decision not to stand down amid accusations her constituents were not being properly represented.

Her resignation means that Mr Sunak will face another difficult by-election this Autumn, with the Liberal Democrats already heavily targeting her constituency. 

Follow for the latest updates.