Oliver Dowden, the MP for Hertsmere, has been appointed deputy prime minister by Rishi Sunak.
The move was announced by the government this afternoon (Friday, April 21) after Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister and justice secretary.
Mr Raab stepped down this morning after a report into allegations of bullying found that he had acted in an "intimidating" and "aggressive" manner with officials during his time in office.
My resignation statement.👇 pic.twitter.com/DLjBfChlFq
— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) April 21, 2023
Mr Dowden will continue to serve as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster alongside his new role as deputy prime minister.
In a tweet, he said that was "deeply honoured" to take on the role and that he is looking "forward to working even more closely with the Prime Minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country".
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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 🇬🇧 https://t.co/kjH74b99jo
— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) April 21, 2023
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He has been MP for Hertsmere since 2015, and has served in a variety of other senior roles including as culture secretary and Conservative party chairman.
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