Oliver Dowden has resigned as chairman of the Conservatives after the catastrophic double losses in the party’s by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton, saying someone “should take responsibility” for a recent series with poor results.
The Tory MP’s resignation letter, also tweeted, came after the party lost two seats it had overnight. Labor took Wakefield and the Liberal Democrats overturned a majority of more than 24,000 people to seize Tiverton and Honiton.
“Yesterday’s parliamentary elections were the last in a series of very bad results for our party,” Dowden wrote in a letter to Boris Johnson. “Our supporters are worried and disappointed by the recent events and I share their feelings.
“We can’t go on with our usual business. Someone has to take responsibility, and I have come to the conclusion that in these circumstances it would not be right for me to remain in office. “
He added: “Finally, I want to emphasize that this is a deeply personal decision that I made myself.
Dowden’s role as party chairman was combined with the position of minister without portfolio sitting in the cabinet. He was previously Minister of Culture under Johnson. He co-chaired with Ben Elliott, who focused primarily on fundraising.
In his letter, he paid tribute to party members and volunteers, writing: “They are the backbone of our great party and deserve better than that.”
The Hertsmeire MP in Hertfordshire took over in September last year, shortly after the Tories suffered a major electoral shock at the loss of the previously safe Cesham and Amersham constituency by the Liberal Democrats.
But during his term, in December last year, the Liberal Democrats overturned a majority of nearly 23,000 to win a by-election in North Shropshire after former incumbent Owen Patterson left over a lobbying scandal.
In May, the party also performed significantly poorly in the local elections, losing hundreds of councilors and a number of leading councils, including Wandsworth, Westminster and Barnett in London, the last two for the first time since their creation in 1964.
While the letter emphasizes that Dowden is taking responsibility for all of this, his decision to step down puts less pressure on Johnson, who has struggled to win a vote of confidence among his own MPs earlier this month and may face a new one. challenge in the fall.
Add Comment