CULTURE secretary Nadine Dorries mixed up two Tory MPs with similar names while defending Prime Minister Boris Johnson on BBC Radio 4.

She told BBC Radio 4’s today programme that comments from Nick Gibb and Aaron Bell were “disappointing” but said those in “marginal” seats knew the PM had won them the election.

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The Culture Secretary was then asked about the 2019 intake on Red Wall MPs, of which Mr Bell is one in his Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

But Nadine Dorries said: “So you want to cite Aaron Bell, again disappointing, I’ll talk about Martin Vickers, who’s up in the far North of England in South Tees.

“I’ll talk about Martin Vickers who is out there supporting the Prime Minister, listing on Channel 4 News the other night the huge number of funding and initiatives that he’s delivered in his constituency.”

Martin Vickers is the MP for Cleethorpes in North East Lincolnshire and has been an MP since 2010 with a current majority of 21,418.

Matt Vickers is the MP for Stockton South, with a majority of 5,260, the Tees Valley and was elected in 2019.

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He reportedly told Channel 4 on Wednesday: “Teesside’s got a lot to be happy about.”

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