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	Vacant
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 46)
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.

Oliver Dowden has held many important jobs in the government. He worked under Prime Ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak. Since 2015, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hertsmere.

Early Life and Education
- Early Career in Politics
Political Career
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 in Garston.

He later studied law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge university. Oliver Dowden has said he received an "excellent state education".

Early Career in Politics

In 2004, Dowden started working for the Conservative Research Department. This department helps the Conservative Party with ideas and information. He then worked for a public relations company.

In 2009, he returned to the Conservative Party. He became a special adviser to David Cameron, who was Prime Minister at the time. His job was to help manage daily issues and problems.

Political Career

Becoming an MP

Oliver Dowden was first elected as the MP for Hertsmere in the 2015 general election. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the UK Parliament. He won with a large number of votes.

During his election campaign, he promised to improve transport and education. He also wanted to protect green belt land. Green belt land is an area of open space around a city where building is restricted.

Views on Important Issues

Before the 2016 referendum, Oliver Dowden was against Brexit. However, after the public voted to leave the European Union, he supported the decision. He said he respected what the British people had decided.

He has also worked to protect the Green Belt in Hertfordshire. He opposed plans that would allow building on these protected areas.

Re-elections

Oliver Dowden was re-elected as MP for Hertsmere in the 2017 general election. He was elected again in the 2019 general election. In the 2024 general election, he was re-elected for the fourth time.

His constituency, Hertsmere, has a large Jewish population. Oliver Dowden has said he feels a "cultural connection" with the Jewish community.

Junior Government Roles

In January 2018, Oliver Dowden became a parliamentary secretary in the Cabinet Office. This role helps the government run smoothly.

In 2019, he supported Boris Johnson to become Prime Minister. Johnson then made Dowden the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General. These roles involve managing government operations and finances. He also became a member of the Privy Council, a group of senior advisors to the King.

As Minister for the Cabinet Office, he worked on improving how the government buys goods and services.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

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

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped the arts industry. He introduced a large support package to help theatres, museums, and other cultural places.

In July 2020, he announced that equipment from the Chinese company Huawei would be removed from the UK's 5G network by 2027. This was a decision about national security.

He also asked Netflix to add a warning to the TV series The Crown. He wanted viewers to know that the show is fiction, not a documentary.

Dowden also worked on new data partnerships with countries like Australia and South Korea. These partnerships aimed to make it easier to share data and boost the economy.

He also spoke about historical statues and monuments. He believed that controversial historical figures should be explained, not removed. He argued that important historical items, like the Benin bronzes, should remain in British museums. He said this allows many people to see them.

In April 2021, he strongly opposed the idea of a European Super League in football. He called the plan by some top clubs "appalling".

Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party

In September 2021, Boris Johnson appointed Oliver Dowden as the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party. In this role, he helped lead the Conservative Party. He told party staff to get ready for the next election.

He also spoke about "cancel culture", which is when people or ideas are removed from public view because they are seen as offensive. Dowden said this was a "dangerous form of decadence".

In June 2022, Oliver Dowden resigned from his role as Co-Chairman. He said that "Somebody must take responsibility" after the Conservative Party lost two local elections.

Supporting Rishi Sunak

After Boris Johnson resigned, Oliver Dowden supported Rishi Sunak to become the new leader of the Conservative Party. He supported Sunak in both leadership elections in 2022.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office

When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022, he appointed Oliver Dowden as 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. In this role, he helped oversee the UK's plan for biological security.

Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

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, Oliver Dowden was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This happened after the previous Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, resigned.

As Deputy Prime Minister, Dowden sometimes stood in for Rishi Sunak at Prime Minister's Questions. This is a time when MPs ask the Prime Minister questions in Parliament. 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 2023, a magazine called New Statesman said he was one of the most powerful right-wing figures.

In March 2024, Dowden spoke about China's attempts to interfere with UK politics. He said that a Chinese group had tried to access secret data.

In Opposition

After the Conservative Party lost the 2024 general election, Oliver Dowden became the Shadow Deputy Prime Minister. This means he was part of the main opposition party's team.

He later returned to being a regular MP when 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

Oliver Dowden has received several honours for his public service.

In 2015, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
In 2024, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). This means he can use the title "Sir".

Oliver Dowden facts for kids

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