Shadow cabinet posts

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 8 July 2024 – 5 November 2024
Leader	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Angela Rayner
Succeeded by	Alex Burghart (de facto)
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 8 July 2024 – 5 November 2024
Leader	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Pat McFadden
Succeeded by	Alex Burghart

Ministerial offices 2018‍–‍2024

Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office
In office 9 February 2023 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 25 October 2022 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Nadhim Zahawi
Succeeded by	Pat McFadden
Minister without Portfolio
In office 15 September 2021 – 24 June 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Amanda Milling
Succeeded by	Andrew Stephenson
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
In office 13 February 2020 – 15 September 2021
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	The Baroness Morgan of Cotes
Succeeded by	Nadine Dorries
Minister for the Cabinet Office
In office 24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	David Lidington
Succeeded by	Michael Gove
Paymaster General
In office 24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Jesse Norman
Succeeded by	Penny Mordaunt
Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office
In office 9 January 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Caroline Nokes
Succeeded by	Simon Hart

Member of Parliament
for Hertsmere

Incumbent

Assumed office
7 May 2015

Preceded by

James Clappison

Majority

7,992 (16.7%)

Personal details

Born

Oliver James Dowden

1 August 1978 (age 47)
Park Street, Hertfordshire, England

Political party

Conservative

Spouse

Blythe Dowden

(m. 2008)

Children

Education

Parmiter's School

Alma mater

Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Signature

Sir Oliver James Dowden (born 1 August 1978) is a British politician. He was the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2023 to 2024. He is a member of the Conservative Party.

Sir Oliver has held many important jobs in the government. He worked under Prime Ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak between 2018 and 2024. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Hertsmere since 2015.

In the Boris Johnson government, he was a Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General from 2019 to 2020. He was also the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2020 to 2021. In 2021, he became the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party. He resigned from these roles in June 2022.

In October 2022, Rishi Sunak made him the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In February 2023, he became the Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office. After Dominic Raab resigned, Sir Oliver was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in April 2023. After the 2024 general election, he became the Shadow Deputy Prime Minister in the opposition.

Early Life and Education
Early Career
Political Journey
Personal Life
Honours
See also

Early Life and Education

Oliver Dowden was born on 1 August 1978 in Park Street, Hertfordshire. He grew up in Park Street and Bricket Wood. He went to Parmiter's School, which is a state school.

He has said he had a "great state education." After school, he studied law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge university.

Early Career

Oliver Dowden started working for the Conservative Research Department in 2004. This department helps the Conservative Party with research. In 2007, he worked for a public relations company. He returned to the Conservative Party in 2009.

He then worked as a special advisor to David Cameron. He was also David Cameron's deputy chief of staff. In these roles, he helped with important daily tasks and challenges.

Political Journey

Becoming an MP

Oliver Dowden was first elected as the MP for Hertsmere in the 2015 general election. He won with a large number of votes. During his campaign, he promised to improve transport, protect green spaces, and make education better.

He was re-elected as MP for Hertsmere in the 2017 and 2019 general elections. He won with even more votes in 2019. In the 2024 general election, he was re-elected again.

Views on Key Issues

Before the 2016 referendum, Oliver Dowden was against Brexit. However, he later supported it because he respected the decision of the British people.

He has also worked to protect the local Green Belt land in Hertfordshire. This means he wants to stop building on these important natural areas.

Sir Oliver has a strong connection with the Jewish community. His constituency, Hertsmere, has a large Jewish population.

Roles in Government

In January 2018, Oliver Dowden became a parliamentary secretary in the Cabinet Office. This was part of a government reshuffle by Theresa May.

In July 2019, Boris Johnson made him the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General. The next day, he became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the King.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

In February 2020, Sir Oliver became the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This job involves looking after things like the internet, TV, movies, music, and sports in the UK.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped the arts industry with a large support package. He also announced that equipment from the Chinese company Huawei would be removed from the UK's 5G network by 2027.

He also spoke about how important it is for people to know the difference between fiction and fact in TV shows. He asked Netflix to add a "health warning" to the series The Crown.

Sir Oliver also worked on new data partnerships with countries like Australia and South Korea. These partnerships aim to help trade after Brexit. He also believes that museums should keep historical items and explain their history, rather than returning them.

Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party

In September 2021, Boris Johnson appointed Sir Oliver as the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party. In this role, he helped lead the Conservative Party.

He often spoke about "cancel culture," saying it was a "painful woke psychodrama." He believed it was making Western countries less confident. He resigned from this role in June 2022 after the Conservative Party lost two by-elections.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

After Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022, Sir Oliver was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. This is a senior role in the government. In February 2023, he also became the Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office. He was responsible for the UK's plan for biological security.

Deputy Prime Minister

Dowden with New York City Mayor Eric Adams in October 2023

Dowden (left) as Deputy Prime Minister, with Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak, in 2024

On 21 April 2023, Sir Oliver was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This happened after Dominic Raab resigned.

As Deputy Prime Minister, he sometimes stood in for Rishi Sunak at Prime Minister's Questions. He also took charge of government business when Sunak was on holiday. In September 2023, he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly about artificial intelligence.

In March 2024, Sir Oliver gave a statement about China's interference in UK politics. He mentioned that a new law might be used to deal with such issues.

In Opposition

After the Conservative Party lost the 2024 general election, Sir Oliver was appointed Shadow Deputy Prime Minister. This means he was a senior member of the opposition team.

He returned to being a regular MP after Kemi Badenoch became the new leader of the Conservative Party.

Personal Life

Oliver Dowden is married to Blythe Dowden, who is a teacher. They have two children together.

Honours

Sir Oliver has received several honours. In 2015, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his political work. In July 2024, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) for his public service. This means he can use the title "Sir."

Oliver Dowden facts for kids

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