Truss is backing Dorries to stay as culture chief ... if she wants to
LIZ Truss hopes to persuade Nadine Dorries to stay on as her combative Culture Secretary, if she becomes the next prime minister, because of ‘unfinished business’ with the BBC and the tech giants.
The Foreign Secretary, widely expected to emerge victorious over Rishi Sunak when the result of the Tory leadership contest is announced next Monday, has told allies that Mrs Dorries is guaranteed to keep her job – if she wants it.
Since her appointment by Boris Johnson last September, Mrs Dorries has warned the BBC that the licence fee needs to be reformed because the ‘days of state-run television are over’, called for the privatisation of Channel 4, overseen the sale of Chelsea Football Club and advocated moving arts funding to the regions.
Mrs Dorries is also involved in legislation intended to curtail the power of the social media giants, including the Online Safety Bill, which will impose a duty of care on tech giants to protect users against illegal or harmful content.
The law, which will give regulator Ofcom the power to fine them up to 10 per cent of their annual global turnover or even block them from being accessed in the UK, has led to concern among free speech supporters because firms will be expected to curb harmful content even if it is not illegal.
It could potentially cover remarks such as Mr Johnson’s 2018 comment that Muslim women wearing burkas looked ‘like letterboxes’ but Mrs Dorries, a staunch ally of Mr Johnson, has driven through amendments to strengthen protection for Press freedom.
Her Department of Culture, Media and Sport is also draft ing legislation to require companies such as Google and Facebook to pay newspapers and other media outlets for using their stories.
The plans address growing concerns that the tech companies are dominating online advertising, to the detriment of consumers and businesses. With every poll suggesting Miss Truss holds an unassailable lead over Rishi Sunak, the Foreign Secretary has spent much of the past fortnight thrashing out the key Cabinet and No 10 appointments with advisers.
Like Mrs Dorries, Ben Wallace is also expected to remain as Defence Secretary in recognition of the ‘grip’ he has exerted over Britain’s response to the war in Ukraine.
A source said: ‘There’s been a lot of “3D chess” played. Only two names went on the early draft in the same positions they already held and stayed there – Nadine and Ben. Nadine in particular has a lot of unfinished business on her desk.’
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, a political soulmate of Miss Truss, is described as ‘nailed on’ for the role of Chancellor, while Attorney General Suella Braverman is expected to be Home Secretary.
A source said: ‘Liz wants to unite the party and have the best players on the pitch. Rishi has plenty of talented backers and lots of those will be brought in, but don’t expect roles for those who’ve really gone for Liz in the media.’
◼ Miss Truss has pulled out of an interview with Nick Robinson which was to be broadcast on BBC1 this evening. Her team said she could ‘no longer spare the time’. Mr Sunak was grilled by Mr Robinson earlier this month.
‘Unfinished business’