Sir Gavin Williamson’s unfitness to hold a senior government job was no secret when Rishi Sunak put him in the cabinet. It was clear in the chaos of English schooling during the pandemic, when Sir Gavin was education secretary. It was clear to anyone who thought a defence secretary shouldn’t leak discussions from a national security council – the offence for which he was sacked by Theresa May in 2019.
The reputation for bullying and intimidation that led to the minister’s latest resignation may not have been broadcast so widely, but it is inconceivable that the prime minister was unaware of something that has been a grievance among Conservative MPs for years. In parliament on Wednesday, Mr Sunak could deny only knowledge of specific circumstances in the latest allegations – the Guardian’s report, for example, that Sir Gavin had told a senior Whitehall official to “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window”.
