Dowden becomes UK deputy prime minister following Dominic Raab’s resignation

Dowden becomes UK deputy prime minister following Dominic Raab’s resignation

Oliver Dowden has been named the new deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom after his predecessor, Mr Dominic Raab, resigned Friday morning.

Raab resigned after a report into his behaviour found him to be “intimidating” and “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in meetings.

Raab, however, stated that the report is “flawed.”

Reuters report that Dowden had been the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government before the new appointment, and he will continue in those roles alongside his new responsibilities.

Tweeting after the announcement, he said, “Deeply honoured to have been asked to serve as deputy prime minister. I look forward to working even more closely with the prime minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country.”

Dowden was educated at a selective state school in Hertfordshire before heading to Cambridge, where he studied law.

But he went on to work for the Tory Party as a researcher and later became a special adviser and deputy chief of staff to David Cameron.

He became an MP in 2015 and represents Hertsmere in his home country, with a solid majority of over 21,000.