Sir Gavin Williamson, a former cabinet member, resigned to clear his character after allegations of bullying.
Mr. Sunak will be questioned at Prime Minister’s Questions on what he knew about the claims.
Sir Gavin is accused of aggressive behavior against members of parliament and government employees, but he denies any wrongdoing.
Labour stated that the Prime Minister, who had promised an honest government, showed “bad judgment” in appointing him.
Sir Gavin was appointed minister without portfolio just two weeks after his political buddy, Mr. Sunak, won the Tory leadership and became prime minister.
The duo met on Tuesday evening for their first in-depth talk about the claims, following which Sir Gavin decided to quit.
In his resignation letter, the member of parliament stated that allegations against him had become a “distraction” but committed to “clear my name of any wrongdoing.”
Mr. Sunak responded “with deep grief” and thanked Sir Gavin for his “personal support and dedication.”
Complaints against Sir Gavin first surfaced when The Sunday Times published a string of profanity-laced texts he wrote to then-chief whip Wendy Morton last month.
In the texts, he appears to be upset that he was not invited to the Queen’s funeral and accuses Ms. Morton of “rigging” ticket allocations against MPs who were not “favored” by then-prime minister Liz Truss.
According to reports, he cautioned Ms. Morton “not to push him around” and stated, “there is a price for everything.”
Later, a senior government servant informed that during Sir Gavin’s tenure as defense secretary, he advised them to “slit your throat” and “jump out the window.”
On Tuesday, his former deputy, Anne Milton, alleged he acted in a “threatening” and “intimidating” manner toward members of parliament while serving as chief whip.
Ex-Chairman of the Conservative Party Jake Berry stated that he informed Mr. Sunak of Ms. Morton’s allegation on October 24, the day before Sir Gavin’s appointment.
According to No. 10, the prime minister “understood there was a conflict” but did not know the “content” of the messages until the Sunday Times published them.
How the Williamson saga transpired
Mr. Sunak becomes Prime Minister on October 25 and names Sir Gavin as a minister without portfolio.
The Sunday Times publishes profanity-laced text conversations made by Sir Gavin to Ms. Morton on November 5.
Mr. Sunak states on November 6 that the communications are “not appropriate” and that he is aware of a dispute between Sir Gavin and Ms. Morton.
The prime minister stated on November 7 that he will await the outcome of an investigation into Sir Gavin’s concerns “before making any future decisions.
As defense secretary, Sir Gavin instructed a senior civil worker to “slit your throat,” which he rejects.
Sir Gavin’s text messages to Ms. Morton are forwarded to the ICGS, the parliamentary watchdog, on November 8.
Sir Gavin resigns just after 20:00, citing that the charges against him were becoming a distraction.
Why Gavin Williamson was appointed in the first place is still the subject of debate.
Some Conservative MPs are upset that he was allowed back into the cabinet, both because of his reputation and because he was previously fired for leaking national security-related material.
Opposition parties claim that the nomination demonstrates that the prime minister is weak and was forced to compromise his integrity to unite his party with a diverse cabinet.
Number 10 disagrees. According to them, the specifics of the charges against Sir Gavin have just become evident in recent days.
Since Rishi Sunak’s ascension, Westminster has appeared to be somewhat more tranquil compared to recent events.
However, there have been significant conflicts around Sir Gavin’s appointment and Suella Braverman’s. Some of these tensions suggest factionalism; centrists despised Ms. Braverman and allies of Liz Truss loathed Sir Gavin.
There are still dissatisfied Conservative MPs who can make life difficult for No. 10. Generally, unity is easier to discuss than to realize.
Sir Gavin’s WhatsApp messages to Ms. Morton have been referred to the MPs’ anti-bullying watchdog, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.
A government servant from the Ministry of Defense has also filed a complaint with the organization.
This is the third time Sir Gavin has been forced to leave the ministry. After reportedly disclosing sensitive information regarding Huawei’s possible involvement in the UK’s 5G network, he was fired as defense secretary in 2019.
Boris Johnson appointed him education secretary later that year, but he was fired in 2021 for mishandling A-level exams during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, described the selection of Sir Gavin as “astonishing” and a sign of “poor judgment, a lack of leadership, and weakness” on the part of the prime minister.
She stated that Sir Gavin should resign from his position as an MP if the allegations of bullying are confirmed.
Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, questioned why Mr. Sunak had defended Sir Gavin, stating that his “promise to run an honest administration has been broken.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan defended Mr. Sunak’s verdict, stating that the prime minister was unaware of any particular complaints made against Sir Gavin.
She noted that it was “always unfortunate to lose a coworker, especially in such circumstances – these are people with families.”
Sir Gavin stated in his resignation letter that he contested the “characterization” of the allegations “regarding my prior conduct” but that he believed they had become a “distraction from the wonderful work the administration is doing.”
He further stated that he had apologized to the recipient of the text messages and that he would cooperate with the complaints procedure.
Later, he tweeted that he would not be accepting any severance compensation, which is normally provided to departing ministers.
Mr. Sunak said, “Your dedication to successive Conservative governments and the party throughout the years has been unwavering.”
Mr. Sunak is also under fire for reappointing Suella Braverman as a home secretary just weeks after she was forced to resign for violating ministerial regulations by sending an official document to an MP from her email account.
Again, opposition figures have accused him of maintaining her in the government in exchange for her support of his position as prime minister.
