Dowden in hot seat as Sunak chills out

DEPUTY Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will be in charge of running the country this week when Rishi Sunak takes a long-awaited holiday for the first time in several years.

- Jonathan Walker and David Williamson

Mr Dowden, 44, has represented the Prime Minister in the House of Commons previously, including when Mr Sunak attended the NATO summit in Lithuania earlier this month.

But this will be his first opportunity to stand in fully for the Prime Minister as head of the Government.

Mr Dowden, known at Westminster by his nickname "Olive", helped organise the King's Coronation in his role as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He served as Culture Secretary when Boris Johnson was Prime Minister.