Politics

Gavin Williamson has embarrassingly been booted out of three cabinets

Gavin Williamson has embarrassingly been booted out of three cabinets
Gavin Williamson resigns amid bullying allegations
Indy

Gavin Williamson has really made a name for himself.

The Tory plonker's career trajectory is impressive - he was knighted by Boris Johnson, held his first ministerial position without even a stint as a junior minister, and has held key roles under four prime ministers.

But then again, he has also been booted out of almost every cabinet he has been a part of - his latest post lasting mere weeks - and he has left a trail of controversy behind him at every turn.

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Let's take a trip down memory lane and remember his, ahem, illustrious career.


Theresa May

Williamson was defence secretary under Theresa May, until he wasn't. He was sacked in 2019 over a leak from the national security council about Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s 5G network. Williamson admitted he had talked to the media, but denied discussing the details behind the meeting.

May said she was "concerned by the manner in which you have engaged with this investigation."

She went on: "In our meeting this evening, I put to you the latest information from the investigation, which provides compelling evidence suggesting your responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure.

"No other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified."

But Williamson replied to her: "I strenuously deny that I was in any way involved in this leak and I am confident that a thorough and formal inquiry would have vindicated my position."


Boris Johnson

An unperturbed Williamson rebounded into Johnson's cabinet in 2020 where he did a terrible job as education minister. In scenes we would award him an F for, the then minister presided over a computer algorithm method of awarding A-Level grades, since the Covid lockdown stopped students from sitting their exams in person, and loads of pupils saw their grades downgraded.

He eventually U-turned and said pupils could use teacher-assessed grades instead but he created a real fiasco and he was put in detention in September 2021... or reshuffled out of Johnson's cabinet.


Rishi Sunak

Williamson didn't get a position in Truss's short-lived government but rose from the ashes once more when he was appointed to Rishi Sunak's cabinet as a minister of state without portfolio - no, we're not quite sure what that means either.

He didn't last long in this role as allegations emerged soon that he had behaved in a pretty nasty way. First, expletive-ridden texts dropped showing him moaning to former chief whip Wendy Morton about not being invited to the Queen's funeral.

He wrote: “Also don’t forget I know how this works so don’t puss me about. Well, let’s see how many more times you fuck us all over. There is a price for everything.”

Further allegations emerged, including a Guardian report about a senior civil servant, who allegedly claimed that Williamson had told them to “slit your throat” while he was the defence secretary.

If you can't take the heat, they say, stay out of the kitchen. So Williamson did, and resigned:

Sir Gavin? More like Sir Gaffein.

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