Rishi Sunak is on holiday – here's the man standing in for him that half the UK hasn't heard of

Rishi Sunak has jetted off to the US for his holiday – leaving deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden in charge.

Sunak flew to California with his family on Wednesday for what he says will be a “really special” trip after a few years without a “proper” family summer holiday.

The prime minister will be heading to Disneyland during the trip, which is expected to last for just over a week.

During that time, Dowden will be at the helm and will no doubt update the prime minister daily on what’s happening back home.

But while Dowden is now effectively in charge of the country, millions of people may be scratching their heads as to who exactly he is.

According to YouGov polling, less than half (43%) of the population (just 43%) has heard of the person now running the country.

That puts him some way down the list of the most well-known Conservative politicians, sandwiched between former MP Owen Paterson and backbench MP Jeremy Wright as the 53rd most famous Tory in the UK.

Yahoo has put together a brief guide of the man currently standing in for his boss.

Who is Oliver Dowden?

The deputy prime minister was born in Hertfordshire in 1978 and grew up in Bricket Wood, with his factory worker father and Boots worker mother.

He was educated at Parmiter’s School – a comprehensive school in Garston, Watford, before studying law at Trinity Hall at Cambridge.

Before becoming an MP, Dowden worked for PR company Hill & Knowlton and became a special adviser and deputy chief of staff for former prime minister David Cameron.

Parliamentary career

Dowden was elected an MP in 2015, and has represented the constituency of Hertsmere, Hertfordshire, since then.

He has had a number of jobs in government, including culture secretary, paymaster general, minister without portfolio at the Cabinet Office and co-chairman of the Conservative Party.

After Sunak became prime minister in 2022, Dowden was appointed chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and was made the secretary of state in the Cabinet Office in February this year.

After Dominic Raab resigned as deputy prime minister in April following bullying allegations, Dowden was promoted to take over the role.

He voted for Remain in the 2016 EU referendum and later backed Boris Johnson during the leadership contest and his subsequent Brexit deal.

Dowden said that, despite voting Remain, he believed the outcome of the referendum should be respected and delivered, which was why he supported Johnson.

'Minister for culture wars?'

Dowden has spoken out against cancel culture and last year hit out at “woke culture” that “runs contrary to the great liberal traditions of Western democracies”.

In February 2022, he gave a speech in the US to the Heritage Foundation, where he described cancel culture as a “painful woke psychodrama” sweeping the West and sapping its confidence.

He also told Tory members at their party conference that cancel culture was ”a mantra that results in bullying and haranguing of individuals, elected representatives, and public institutions”.

During his time as culture secretary, Dowden opposed returning historic artefacts held in British museums that had been brought to Britain during colonisation.

Dowden also hit out at “woke pet projects” of local councils trying to change street names that some regarded as offensive.

He said: "Labour and Liberal Democrat councils across the country are hiking council tax while squandering hard-earned local taxpayers' money on these woke pet projects that nobody wants.”

According to a Politico profile in 2021, Dowden's outspoken views helped him become known as the Minister for Culture Wars to insiders. He is also believed to have had "dreary modern art” taken down inside Downing Street.

In 2021 he said that some cultural organisations were “responding too much to this noisy and aggressive brigade of activists” who criticised aspects of British history, warning them: “If they go too woke, they risk going broke”.

He added: “Organisations need robust leadership to stand up to that aggressive campaigning because ultimately they need to be careful.”

Dowden has also attacked Labour for being “woke” and “turning its back“ on its traditional voters.

In a speech to Tory members, he said Labour ”has got woke running through it like a stick of Brighton rock”, adding: ”Previous generations of Labour leaders, activists and voters would look in dismay at what Labour has become.”

Dowden has managed to avoid making any major slip-ups during his time in Cabinet – though he was forced to defend donating a champagne bottle signed by the prime minister to a charity auction.

Tory MP John Hayes said Dowden would be a “safe pair of hands” in Sunak’s absence, and has already filled in for the prime minister in PMQs.

Dowden is clearly trusted by leaders and prime ministers and was previously nicknamed “the undertaker” by former boss David Cameron for working out how to handle Tory MPs caught up in the MP expenses scandal in 2009.

Is Dowden actually in charge?

While Sunak is technically on holiday he will still be able to be contacted at any time.

In an age of modern communications and technology, Sunak will always be a phone call away from ministers – including Dowden – and will still be “in charge”.

In fact, Dowden’s role as deputy prime minister is more of an informal role – and Sunak’s absence does not automatically mean he is running the country.

The role of deputy prime minister has not always been part of government – in fact the first one was Clement Attlee, who served in the position between 1940 and 1945.

Since then, there has not always been a deputy PM but it became more common to appoint once after Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg was given the role in the coalition government in 2010.

Prime ministers can choose to appoint one of their cabinet colleagues to serve as their deputy – but the title does not automatically give them any constitutional powers.

However, it does give Dowden – and anyone who serves in the position – some seniority and the person in the role would usually sit next to the prime minister in parliament or in the cabinet.

If the prime minister is ever unable to attend PMQs, it would fall to the deputy PM to answer the questions put to them by MPs.

With Sunak away, Dowden will likely be dealing with the day-to-day prime ministerial business – but it is in Sunak’s power to decide that, rather than it automatically falling to Dowden.