Levelling up minister resigns from Government due to chronic migraine
Conservative MP Dehenna Davison has resigned from her role as levelling up minister, pointing to an ongoing battle with chronic migraine as the reason behind her decision.
The Bishop Auckland MP, who had already said she will leave Parliament at the next election, said her health problem “has had a great impact on my ability to carry out the role”.
In a letter to Rishi Sunak, Ms Davison said: “Some days I’m fine, but on others it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with the demands of ministerial life – and the timing of such days is never predictable.
“Though I have tried to mitigate, and am grateful to colleagues for their patience at times, I don’t feel it is right to continue in the role.”
She added that she would use her remaining time in Parliament to focus on her constituency and her campaign for better justice and support for one-punch assault victims and their families.
The issue is one of great personal importance to Ms Davison, whose father was killed by a single punch during an attack in a pub in Sheffield when she was just 13.
Ms Davison, who was elected in 2019 and has served as levelling up minister since September last year, announced in November that she would not contest her seat at the next election.
In a statement released at the time, she said: “For my whole adult life, I’ve dedicated the vast majority of my time to politics and to help make people’s lives better. But, to be frank, it has meant I haven’t had anything like a normal life for a twenty-something.
“I will always be humbled to have had the opportunity to serve as a Member of Parliament. But now the time feels right for me to devote more of my attention to life outside politics – mainly to my family and helping support them as they’ve helped support me. That’s why I won’t be standing in the next general election.”
Ms Davison has not detailed what direction her career will take beyond politics, but there has been speculation she could pursue media full-time given that she has dabbled in television before.
She appeared in a Channel 4 documentary Bride and Prejudice in 2018. The show followed couples whose pairings prompted opposition from their families.
Ms Davison featured in the series alongside her husband at the time, Tory councillor John Fareham, who is 35 years older than her.
Prior to becoming a minister, Ms Davison had a regular slot on GB News.
Redcar MP Jacob Young has been announced as Ms Davison’s replacement as Levelling Up Minister.
