Sir Gavin Williamson’s third stint within the cupboard was by far his shortest.
He made his return to the federal government solely two weeks in the past, when Rishi Sunak appointed him as a Cabinet Office minister.
Once allegations that he had despatched “abusive” textual content messages emerged, he was gone inside 72 hours, returning to the backbenches for a 3rd time in his parliamentary profession.
Here’s how the previous defence secretary and former schooling secretary additionally grew to become a former Cabinet Office minister.
Saturday 5 November
Late within the night, claims that Sir Gavin had despatched expletive-laden texts to his fellow MP Wendy Morton when she was Liz Truss’s chief whip drop in an article on the Sunday Times web site.
He had “lashed out” at his colleague within the messages, in response to the report, claiming she had excluded him from attending the Queen’s funeral for political causes and warning her “there is a price for everything”.
Damningly for Mr Sunak, it says Ms Morton had advised the celebration the day earlier than the prime minister took workplace that she wished to make a proper grievance.
Sir Jake Berry, who misplaced his job as Tory chairman in Mr Sunak’s reshuffle, claims in a press release he had additionally advised the prime minister and his incoming chief of workers that Ms Morton was submitting a grievance that day.
Number 10 refuses to reply to the claims.
Sunday 6 November
As questions mount over how a lot Mr Sunak knew of the allegations, Oliver Dowden, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, is shipped out by Downing Street in his defence on the standard Sunday political programmes.
He tells Sky News’ Sophy Ridge that Mr Sunak knew there was a “difficult relationship” between Sir Gavin and Ms Morton, however “wasn’t aware” of “specific allegations” till Saturday night.
Mr Dowden provides that Sir Gavin “regrets the language he used” and likewise means that numerous people had “a difficult relationship” with Ms Morton.
“These were sent in the heat of the moment expressing frustration,” he says. “It was a difficult time for the party. He now accepts that he shouldn’t have done it and he regrets doing so. Thankfully, we are in a better place now as a party.”
Mr Dowden insists Mr Sunak has full confidence in his minister.
That morning Labour requires an “urgent independent investigation” into the appointment of Sir Gavin, with shadow local weather secretary Ed Miliband warning towards a “cover-up” over the allegations.
Speaking to Sophy Ridge, Mr Miliband says the matter “really calls into question Rishi Sunak’s judgement and the way he made decisions about his cabinet”, including Sir Gavin’s reappointment was “not in the public interest”.
“There needs to be an urgent independent investigation into exactly what happened. We can’t have a cover-up, we can’t have a whitewash here,” he says.
Monday 7 November
Downing Street continues to again Sir Gavin. But one other article in The Times raises additional questions on his time as chief whip in 2016 below Theresa May.
A minister tells the paper that when she was on the backbenches and campaigning on a difficulty that was inflicting difficulties for the federal government, Sir Gavin raised particulars about her non-public life in an try to silence her – which she interpreted as a tacit menace.
Mr Sunak attends the COP27 local weather convention in Egypt and reporters particularly ask in regards to the texts Sir Gavin allegedly despatched to Ms Morton.
The PM says it’s “right” for an unbiased complaints investigation to happen into accusations “before making any decisions about the future”.
But he says he had made it “very clear that the language is not right [and] not acceptable”, including: “That’s why I welcome the fact Gavin Williamson has expressed regret about that.”
Come Monday night, one other incendiary story drops in The Guardian.
A former civil servant who labored below Sir Gavin when he was defence secretary between 2017 and 2019 claims he advised them to “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window” in what they felt was a sustained marketing campaign of bullying.
The civil servant, who later left authorities, says Sir Gavin “deliberately demeaned and intimidated” them frequently. They say they reported the incidents informally to the MoD’s head of human assets, however determined towards making a proper grievance.
Sir Gavin releases a press release saying he strongly rejects the allegations and had “enjoyed good working relationships with the many brilliant officials I have worked with across government”.
Tuesday 8 November
In the morning, it’s confirmed that relatively than leaving the investigation to the Tory celebration, Ms Morton has referred the textual content messages to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), the parliamentary watchdog.
Downing Street once more insists that the prime minister believes Sir Gavin’s account of the occasions, however a spokesman describes the civil servant’s allegations as “serious” and says it will take into account “proper processes” earlier than commenting additional.
The spokesman hints Mr Sunak won’t wait till the tip of investigations to decide about Sir Gavin’s future, however confirms he had attended cupboard that morning.
By early night, a brand new allegation emerges on Channel 4 News – this time by Anne Milton, a former deputy chief whip who labored below Sir Gavin.
She tells the programme he “loved salacious gossip and would use it as leverage against MPs if the need arose” and likewise claims he used an MP’s monetary scenario as a supply of leverage.
At about 7pm, the ex-civil servant tells Sky News they’ll elevate a proper grievance to the ICGS too, saying Sir Gavin’s “words and actions had an extreme impact on my mental health”.
At 8.11pm, Sir Gavin resigns in a letter on Twitter.
He mentioned he refuted the “characterisation” of the claims, however that the allegations had been “becoming a distraction for the good work this government is doing for the British people” so he would step down and give attention to clearing his identify.
Source: information.sky.com”