Oliver Dowden named deputy prime minister & Alex Chalk is justice secretary after Dominic Raab resigns

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Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk have taken key roles following the resignation of Dominic Raab

Alex Chalk and Oliver Dowden have stepped in to replace Dominc Raab following his resignation from two key roles in government. Dominic Raab stepped down from his parliamentary roles today (April 21) after he was found to have bullied staff during his time in government.

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Now Alex Chalk MP has been called in to replace Raab as the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Oliver Dowden has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister. Raab resigned from his role as deputy prime minister and Secretary of State for Justice after a report into his conduct found he had acted in an "intimidating way" and was "unreasonably and persistently aggressive" in meetings.

However, he has responded to say the findings are "flawed", and claimed they "set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government".

Now Mr Chalk is set to become the 10th justice secretary in a decade, and will also serve as lord chancellor, responsible for protecting and upholding the rule of law and independence of the judiciary. Prime Minister Rishi Runak brought Chalk into government in October as a defence minister, but he formerly served as the solicitor general and a prisons minister under Boris Johnson.

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And Oliver Dowden, Conservative MP for Hertsmere has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister. Formerly, Dowden has served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster since October 2022 and Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office since February 2023.

Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk have taken key roles following the resignation of Dominc Raab Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk have taken key roles following the resignation of Dominc Raab
Oliver Dowden and Alex Chalk have taken key roles following the resignation of Dominc Raab | Getty Images

According to the Parliamentary website, the role of the Deputy Prime Minister  supports the Prime Minister in the oversight of the full range of government policy and initiatives. Should the prime minister become absent or temporarily incapable of performing the role, they step in as acting prime minister.

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