Dorries warns of Cameron putsch (From Thisisdorset)

Dorries warns of Cameron putsch

3:51am Sunday 6th May 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has warned Tory leader David Cameron he will be kicked out of office by his own backbenchers within the next year unless he "dramatically" changes the party's policies.

In an outspoken attack, the politician described the Prime Minister and his Chancellor George Osborne as "dangerous", saying they were leading the Conservatives "towards defeat" at the next general election.

The MP for mid-Bedfordshire also hit out at Mr Cameron's "sneering" attitude and claimed backbench discussions about introducing a motion of no-confidence against the leader were already taking place following a dismal display at Thursday's local elections.

Ms Dorries told BBC 5Live's Stephen Nolan Programme: "What we have seen on Thursday was pretty bad. A year from now we have bigger local elections and unless we change dramatically what we are doing now we could see even bigger losses.

"The (Conservative) MPs in the House of Commons will not sleepwalk towards a next general election like Labour MPs did and watch their seats disappear because of bad policy."

Ms Dorries warned that if the party did not change what it was doing "dramatically and look at what people are asking for and provide them with that", Tory backbenchers would start filing their letters of no confidence in Mr Cameron and look for a change of leader. "I happen to know this is already being discussed," she said.

During the the deeply personal outburst Ms Dorries also accused Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne of arrogance, saying they were "leading the Conservative party towards defeat".

Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr, Chancellor George Osborne dismissed Ms Dorries' comments.

He said: "Nadine Dorries for the last seven years hasn't agreed with anything that either myself, David Cameron or indeed most Conservatives ... have done.

"She has objected to the modernising of the Conservative Party. We have got to focus on what really matters. I think the issues that matter are actually not House of Lords reform, not gay marriage, which are the issues she raises. They are the economy, the education system, the welfare system, our police and the NHS. These are the issues that the public want us to deliver."