Vennells CBE: Now Dowden needs to explain why he failed to sack her as a Cabinet Office Director

EMBARGO: Immediate release

The Lib Dems have called on Oliver Dowden to come clean about why he failed to sack Vennells from her Cabinet Office role, after the High Court judgment in Bates was handed down during his time as Cabinet Office Minister in 2019.

Responding to Paula Vennells handing back her CBE, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

"Paula Vennells is right to hand back her CBE, but the Conservatives still need to explain why they gave it to her in the first place in 2019, along with a plum job at the top of the Cabinet Office.

"Oliver Dowden needs to explain why he failed to sack Paula Vennells as a Cabinet Office Director when the High Court judgment was handed down in 2019, exposing her full involvement in the Horizon scandal.

"Nobody rewarded Paula Vennells more than this Conservative Government."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/three-new-cabinet-office-non-executive-board-members-announced