At 5.35am on the 24th June 2022, Oliver Dowden announced his resignation as Conservative Party Chair following the double defeat in the Wakefield and Honiton & Tiverton byelections.
In his letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson he stated “We cannot carry on with business as usual. Somebody must take responsibility and I have concluded that, in these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office.”
My letter of resignation to the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/xd5MtM2o3n
— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) June 24, 2022
The news follows reports of Johnson saying that it would be “crazy” for him to resign if the Conservative Party lost the Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton byelections.
Dowden has shareds the chairman position with Ben Elliot since 2021. As well as being the MP for Hertsmere, he’s also Minister without portfolio and was Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2020 to 2021[1]Wikipedia: Oliver Dowden.
This is yet another blow to Conservative leader Boris Johnson who has repeatedly ignored calls to resign despite investigations over breaches of ministerial code and being the first sitting Prime Minister to have been found to have broken the law after he was fined for his actions during “partygate”[2]The Guardian: Johnson leadership doubts resurface amid report of fresh Partygate fine at event he attended.
Johnson is currently in Rwanda for a Commonwealth leaders summit has yet to comment on the matter
Katy is the editor-in-chief of FlippingHeck.com a blog about Self-Improvement, Productivity and Small Business Tips. When she’s not working, she enjoys gaming, making music and Reviewing Things.
Can You Support Katy's Work?
If you are able to, it would be great if you could make a donation. Your donations will go towards covering hosting costs as well as enabling me to continue my research and provide explainers to everyone.
