Oliver Dowden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oliver Dowden
CBE MP
Official portrait of Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2020
Chairman of the Conservative Party
Assumed office
15 September 2021
Serving with Ben Elliot
LeaderBoris Johnson
Preceded byAmanda Milling
Minister without Portfolio
Assumed office
15 September 2021
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byAmanda Milling
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
In office
13 February 2020 – 15 September 2021
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byThe Baroness Morgan of Cotes
Succeeded byNadine Dorries
Minister for the Cabinet Office
In office
24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byDavid Lidington
Succeeded byMichael Gove
Paymaster General
In office
24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byJesse Norman
Succeeded byPenny Mordaunt
Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office
In office
9 January 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byCaroline Nokes
Succeeded byJohnny Mercer
Member of Parliament
for Hertsmere
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byJames Clappison
Majority21,313 (40.8%)
Personal details
Born
Oliver James Dowden

(1978-08-01) 1 August 1978 (age 43)
Park Street, Hertfordshire, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)Blythe
Children2
EducationParmiter's School
Alma materTrinity Hall, Cambridge

Oliver James Dowden CBE (born 1 August 1978) is a British politician serving as Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party alongside Ben Elliot since 2021. He also serves as Minister without Portfolio. He previously served as Minister for the Cabinet Office from 2019 to 2020 and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2020 to 2021. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Hertsmere since 2015.

Early life and education[]

Dowden was born on 1 August 1978.[1] He grew up in Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire, being educated at Parmiter's School, a partially selective state comprehensive school in Garston, Watford. He attests to having received an "excellent state education",[2] before going to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he read law.[3]

Career[]

Dowden joined the Conservative Research Department in 2004, moving to PR company Hill & Knowlton in 2007, before returning to the Conservative Party in 2009.[4]

He then worked as a special adviser and David Cameron's deputy chief of staff,[3] where he said most of his time was spent on "day-to-day crisis management".[5] Dowden was regarded as having expertise in the attacking form of political communications, leading to comparisons with Labour's Alastair Campbell.[4]

He was elected MP for Hertsmere in the 2015 general election, with a majority of 18,461 votes.[6] While standing, among the policy priorities he highlighted in his campaign were improving transport infrastructure, preserving green belt land and improving education.[7] He made his maiden speech on 17 June 2015.[1]

Dowden was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 Dissolution Honours List on 27 August 2015.[8]

He opposed Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.[9]

In January 2018, Dowden was promoted to parliamentary secretary to the Cabinet Office, as part of Theresa May's cabinet reshuffle.[10]

Appointed Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General by incoming Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 24 July 2019, Dowden was appointed a member of the Privy Council the next day.[11]

On 13 February 2020, Dowden was appointed Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, succeeding Baroness Morgan of Cotes, who resigned from the cabinet.[12]

On 15 September 2021, Johnson appointed Dowden as an unpaid Minister without Portfolio and Conservative Party Co-Chairman during a cabinet reshuffle.[13]

Personal life[]

Dowden is married and has two children.[2][3]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Watson, Chris; Fawcett, Mark (13 March 2018). "Members of the House of Commons since 1979" (PDF). House of Commons Library. p. 62. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b "About Oliver Dowden". Oliverdowden.com. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Oliphant, Victoria (8 October 2014). "'This is like coming home' – Oliver Dowden announced as Conservative candidate for Hertsmere". Borehamwood Times. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b Merrick, Jane (14 October 2012). "'Olive' in charge after No 10 shake-up". The Independent. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  5. ^ "David Cameron's special adviser in US television gaffe". www.telegraph.co.uk. 22 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Hertsmere (Constituency) 2015 results - General election results - UK Parliament". electionresults.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Meet the MPs: Profiling the Conservative 2015 intake | Dehavilland". www1.dehavilland.co.uk.
  8. ^ Prime Minister's Office (27 August 2015). "Press release Dissolution Honours 2015". Gov.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  9. ^ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  10. ^ Flanagan, Chris (10 January 2018). "Potters Bar's MP 'delighted' after scooping promotion". Welwyn Hatfield Times.
  11. ^ "ORDERS APPROVED AND BUSINESS TRANSACTED AT THE PRIVY COUNCIL HELD BY THE QUEEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ON 25TH JULY 2019" (PDF). Privy Council Office. 2019.
  12. ^ "The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP". GOV.UK.
  13. ^ UK Prime Minister [@10DowningStreet] (15 September 2021). "The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden @OliverDowden has been appointed Minister without Portfolio, Cabinet Office" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 September 2021 – via Twitter.

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Hertsmere

2015–present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office
2018–2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for the Cabinet Office
2019–2020
Succeeded by
Michael Gove
Preceded by Paymaster General
2019–2020
Succeeded by
Penny Mordaunt
Preceded by Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
2020–2021
Succeeded by
Nadine Dorries
Preceded by Minister without Portfolio
2021–present
Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Conservative Party
Serving with Ben Elliot

2021–present
Incumbent
Retrieved from ""