Williamson quits over bullying allegations
Minister’s resignation piles pressure on Sunak to explain why he was appointed
SIR GAVIN WILLIAMSON resigned from the Cabinet last night, saying the bullying allegations against him were “becoming a distraction from government”.
His departure comes after he was accused of engaging in threatening behaviour towards MPS and civil servants, allegedly telling one aide to “slit your throat”. It is the third time that Sir Gavin, a minister in the Cabinet Office, has been forced out of government.
The development will pile pressure on Rishi Sunak to explain why he decided to give him a job at his top table and to what extent he was aware of the allegations beforehand.
It also means the Prime Minister has lost a Cabinet minister during his first fortnight in office, despite promising on the steps of Downing Street that “integrity” and “professionalism” would be at the heart of his Government.
He will be forced to justify his decision to appoint Sir Gavin in the Commons at noon today as he faces Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Sir Gavin was fired by Theresa May in 2019 after she said she had “compelling evidence” that he had been responsible for leaking confidential security information relating to Huawei’s potential involvement in Britain’s 5G network.
He was brought back into government by Boris Johnson as education secretary but sacked again last year after the chaos of GCSE and A-level exams during the pandemic.
In his resignation letter, which he published on social media, Sir Gavin said he had decided to “step back” from his Cabinet role so he could “comply fully with the complaints process” and “clear my name of any wrongdoing”.
He said: “I refute the characterisation of these claims, but I recognise these are becoming a distraction for the good work this Government is doing.”
Last night, Mr Sunak expressed his “great sadness” at Sir Gavin’s decision to quit and thanked him for his “personal support and loyalty”.
Sir Gavin said he would not be taking severance pay, adding that: “It should go instead toward the Government’s priorities like reducing the NHS’S waiting lists.”
His resignation comes after he was also accused of acting in an “unethical and immoral” manner in his time as chief whip (July 2016 to November 2017).
According to Anne Milton, his deputy in the whips’ office, Sir Gavin claimed he “owned” an MP after they were given some financial assistance. She told Channel 4 News: “I do remember [Sir Gavin] asking me to give the MP in question the cheque. And he waved it under my nose and said, ‘make sure when you give him this cheque, he knows I now own him’.”
Ms Milton, who lost her seat in the 2019 election after standing as an independent, went on to accuse Sir Gavin of using MPS’ mental and physical health
‘A number of MPS have had a similar experience to Wendy Morton but are too scared to say so’
problems as “leverage”, adding that he acted in a “threatening” and “intimidating” manner while he was chief whip.
“It’s an image he cultivates. I think he feels that he’s Francis Urquhart from House of Cards,” she added.
Sir Gavin was already facing two separate investigations by parliament’s bullying watchdog after a former civil servant reported him for “abuse” he faced while at the Ministry of Defence.
Wendy Morton, the former chief whip, also escalated her complaint of alleged “bullying and intimidation” to Parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme. Sir Gavin faces a further inquiry by the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team.
Yesterday morning, Downing Street insisted Mr Sunak still had confidence in Sir Gavin but hardened its rhetoric, describing an allegation that he told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat” as “serious”.
The former MOD aide alleged that on another occasion, Sir Gavin told him to “jump out of the window”, adding that he had felt “deliberately demeaned and intimidated” on a regular basis.
In a statement released last night announcing his intention to report Sir Gavin’s behaviour to watchdogs he said: “This was an incredibly difficult period for me. Gavin Williamson’s words and actions had an extreme impact on my mental health.
“Government ministers have a code of conduct that they are required to follow. Any form of abuse is unacceptable.”
Mr Sunak has also faced questions about reappointing Suella Braverman as Home Secretary after she resigned for breaking the ministerial code.
Sir Gavin has rejected the allegations that he bullied any staff, claiming to have had “good working relationships” with his “brilliant officials”, but has not denied using the specific words.
Responding to Ms Morton’s complaint about him, he said he “regrets getting frustrated” and hoped to “work positively” with her in the future.
The Daily Telegraph spoke to a number of former Cabinet ministers about Sir Gavin’s conduct in Government.
One said many MPS who had been bullied by Mr Williamson were too “scared” to speak out. “There are a number of MPS who have had a similar experience to Wendy Morton but they are too scared to say so,” they said.
A second former Cabinet minister described Sir Gavin as a “pretty odious” person who had a “heavy handed” and “coercive” approach to running the whips’ office.
A third former Cabinet minister said: “Whips that rely on bullying are not very good whips. I think he had a reputation of being a bully, a long-standing one.”