Dowden, left, with editor Jonathan Symcox during a 2018 roundtable

Posted on February 14, 2020 by staff

Oliver Dowden is UK’s new Digital Minister

Dowden, left, with editor Jonathan Symcox during a 2018 roundtable

Oliver Dowden CBE has been appointed Digital and Culture Secretary as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s first Cabinet reshuffle.

Dowden, who has served as Minister for the Cabinet Office for the last six months, replaces former Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan.

Nicky Morgan stood down as a Conservative MP last December, but was made a Peer by Johnson to allow him to keep her in the Cabinet.

Matt Warman will retain his position as Under Secretary at DCMS.

An MP since 2015, Dowden is the MP for Hertsmere in Hertfordshire and a former advisor to David Cameron.

He told BusinessCloud in 2018 that small tech companies have an exceptional ability to deliver innovation into the heart of government.

“I think this country has a real opportunity to be at the forefront of tech and in many ways it is,” he said then. “The tech companies we have handling prestige government contracts have genuine innovation and bring something new to the table.

“The fact that they’re smaller and more agile means that they’re often at the forefront of technology so they’re attractive to government from that perspective.

“We’ve already digitised an awful lot of government services and by many measures we’re one of the most digitally advanced governments in the world.”