Sir Gavin Williamson resigns as minister after bullying allegations
Sir Gavin Williamson has resigned as a government minister after a series of bullying allegations were lodged against him.
In his resignation letter this evening, Williamson said he wished to clear him name of “any wrongdoing” and “refuted” how his “past conduct” had been characterised.
He said the claims against him were “becoming a distraction for the good work this government is doing for the British people”, offering Prime Minister Rishi Sunak his “full and total support from the backbenches”.
The resignation comes after a series of text messages by Sir Gavin to then-Chief Whip Wendy Morton were published by The Sunday Times.
The exchanges show Williamson criticising Morton for the selection process for the Queen’s funeral.
He accused his Tory colleague of “rigging” the ticket allocation process, and warned “there is a price for everything”.
The publication triggered a series of other claims against Williamson.
He allegedly told a senior civil servant while he was defence secretary to “slit your throat”, according to reports from the Guardian.
Anne Milton, who was Williamson’s number two in the Conservative whips’ office, also claimed that he used “leverage” and threats to control MPs.
In an interview with Channel 4 News, Milton said the MP would thrive on “salacious gossip” about the “sexual preferences” of others.