Former education and defence secretary Gavin Williamson is to receive a knighthood, it has been announced. The news was greeted with a mixture of bemusement, mockery and anger on social media.
Williamson was sacked from the cabinet by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last September, having been widely criticised for his handling of the English education system during the coronavirus pandemic. Exams, in particular, were badly disrupted.
The announcement has prompted more criticism of the honours system, and of the government for alleged cronyism. But why has Gavin Williamson been given a knighthood - and what do you have to do to get one?
Why has Gavin Williamson been given a knighthood?
It’s understood that Gavin Williamson is being given a knighthood for political and public service. He was previously awarded a CBE for the same reason back in 2016.
Williamson has occupied several frontbench government roles, including chief whip as well as defence secretary and education secretary. He was sacked as defence secretary in 2019 and as education secretary in September 2021.
His tenure in the latter role was controversial, and he was attacked over school closures, the provision of free school meals and exam grading. Previously, Theresa May had sacked him as defence secretary for allegedly leaking details of a National Security Council meeting.”
How do you get a knighthood?
Knighthoods and damehoods can be awarded for a number of different reasons, but they are generally considered to reflect outstanding contributions or achievements. Any British citizen can be nominated for an honour if they are considered to meet the relevant criteria.
Non-British citizens can only receive honorary knighthoods and damehoods, rather than their full equivalents. This means that recipients cannot call themselves Sir or Dame, but they can add KBE as a suffix to their name, if they wish.
Usually, people nominated for a knighthood or damehood will be considered to have made a significant contribution either at the national or international level. Many recipients will have previously been awarded lower honours, including CBE, MBE and OBE.
The decision to award Gavin Williamson a knighthood has been widely derided as an instance of cronyism. Football pundit Gary Neville was among those mocking the award, suggesting that Williamson got it because he “knows where the skeletons are”.
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