Chairman Dowden to be tough like Cecil
NEW Tory co-chairman Oliver Dowden will restore the post to its power in the Thatcher era, party sources said last night.
They said the former Culture Secretary would be as important in Boris Johnson’s top team as Cecil Parkinson and Norman Tebbit were in Margaret Thatcher’s. The pair chaired the party at key pre-election times during Lady Thatcher’s decade in power.
The move comes after mounting complaints from Tory backbenchers over the party’s performance under previous chairman Amanda Milling, including the shock loss in the Amersham and Chesham by-election.
According to reports, Mr Dowden marked his appointment with a rousing speech to staff to ‘prepare for the next election’.
However, critics pointed out that under the party structure, Mr Dowden will still share the chairmanship with well-connected businessman Ben Elliot.