Tory Minister Forced To Quit Government Due To 'Chronic Migraine'

Dehenna Davison said the condition sometimes made it "impossible" to do the job.
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Dehenna Davison was levelling up minister.
Leon Neal via Getty Images

A Tory minister has quit the government because her “chronic” migraines make it “impossible” for her to do the job.

Dehenna Davison announced on X, formerly Twitter, that she was resigning as levelling up minister with immediate effect.

She is being replaced by Redcar MP Jacob Young.

Davison, who was elected MP for Bishop Aukland in 2019, said: “Unfortunately for some time now I have been battling with chronic migraine, which has had a great impact on my ability to carry out the role.

“Some days I’m fine, but on others it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with the demands of being a minister - 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.

“At such a critical time for levelling up, I believe the people of communities like mine, and across the country, deserve a minister who can give the job the energy it needs. I regret that I no longer can.”

Davison announced last November that she would not be standing at the next election, joining the growing exodus from parliament of Conservative MPs.

She said she had been “humbled” to serve in parliament but that the “time feels right for me to devote more of my attention to life outside politics”.

Davison was one of the youngest MPs to be elected at the last election, helping Boris Johnson to an 80-seat majority.