Sir Oliver James Dowden, born on August 1, 1978, in Park Street, Hertfordshire, England, grew up in nearby Bricket Wood. His father worked in a wire factory in Watford, and his mother in London Colney. He attended Parmiter's School, a state comprehensive near Watford, before earning a BA in law from Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge. Dowden began his career in the Conservative Research Department in 2004, worked at PR firm Hill & Knowlton in 2007, and returned to the party in 2009 as a special adviser, later serving as deputy chief of staff to David Cameron from 2010 to 2015, focusing on crisis management and political communications. Elected as the Conservative MP for Hertsmere on May 7, 2015 (re-elected in 2017, 2019, and 2024), where the LUCK charity is based and which has the UK's largest Jewish population outside London, he has chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Jews and served as an officer for Conservative Friends of Israel, citing cultural affinity with the Jewish community. He has been linked to lobbying for The Tikvah Fund. His political roles include Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office (2018-2019), Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (2019-2020), Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2020-2021), Minister without Portfolio and Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party (2021-2022, resigning in June 2022 after by-election losses, stating the party could not continue 'business as usual'), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (2022-2024), Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office (2023-2024), and Deputy Prime Minister (2023-2024, until July 5, 2024). Following the 2024 election, he served as Shadow Deputy Prime Minister and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster until November 5, 2024. He was appointed CBE in 2015 for service as Cameron's deputy chief of staff and KCB in 2024 for political and public service. Married to teacher Blythe Dowden since 2008, they have two children and live in Hertsmere with their dog, Betsy; he enjoys pub lunches and countryside walks. Controversies include initially opposing Brexit but later supporting it, advocating 'retain and explain' for historical artifacts like the Benin Bronzes, criticizing 'woke culture' as 'dangerous decadence', leading a secretive 2023 government unit to counter COVID-19 disinformation and lockdown dissent, denying knowledge of 2023 rape allegations against a Conservative MP during his party chairmanship, and being interviewed by police in September 2024 over the election betting scandal. Post-government, he advises Caxton Associates (hedge fund, from September 2022, £8,398 fee, resumed November 2024), Pierce Protocols/Heni (art services, from September 2022, resuming January 2025), and Francisco Partners (private equity, from June 2025), resigning roles upon cabinet returns. Contact: emails oliver.dowden.mp@parliament.uk and oliver@oliverdowden.com; phone 020 7219 3415; website https://www.oliverdowden.com/; X/Twitter @OliverDowden; Facebook /oliverdowdenhertsmere; Instagram @oliverdowden.mp; LinkedIn uk.linkedin.com/in/oliverdowden.