At a small art gallery in Redcar, Nadine Dorries is having a lovely time. A group of young people with artistically dyed hair, punkish clothing and badges displaying their preferred gender pronouns is gathered around her. Together, they are making a magazine — they call it a ’zine — to celebrate their shared love of plants. Whatever I expected when Dorries, nicknamed the secretary of state for the culture wars by her (many) detractors, invited me to join her on a day out, this was not it. I have been on the tail of the culture secretary all day as she tours the northeast.

Source: The Times February 20, 2022 01:05 UTC