Rishi Sunak was blasted as "weak" today as he finally said he “regrets” giving a job to “pathetic bully” Gavin Williamson.
Days after defiantly saying he stood by all his decisions, and hours after gushingly thanking Sir Gavin for his service, the Prime Minister said it was right for him to quit.
He told MPs: “I obviously regret appointing someone who’s had to resign in these circumstances."
But he was blasted by Labour leader Keir Starmer, who branded him a “weak boss” hiding behind a “run of the mill bully”.
Mr Starmer said: “The truth is simple - he’s a pathetic bully but he would never get away with it if people like the Prime Minister didn’t hand him power."
In a brutal verdict, Labour’s leader branded Sir Gavin a “sad middle manager getting off on intimidating those beneath him."
He blasted Rishi Sunak, saying: “If he can’t even stand up to a cartoon bully with a pet spider, if he’s too scared to face the public in an election, what chance has he got of running the country?”
The Prime Minister's press secretary would not say whether Rishi Sunak knew of the nature of the bullying claim against Sir Gavin Williamson when he appointed him.
Asked if Mr Sunak was not told by Sir Jake Berry that the complaint in question concerned bullying and intimidation, she said: "I can't comment on the... details of private discussions.
"But he was made aware of the disagreement."
She said Sir Gavin requested a meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday to tell him he was resigning.
The PM faced a Commons battering over his decision to give Sir Gavin a Cabinet seat despite knowing there was a bullying complaint against him.
Labour’s Chris Bryant has suggested the shamed former minister should be stripped of his honours, asking: “Why has he still got a knighthood?”
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner suggested Sir Gavin should quit as an MP if he is found to have bullied colleagues or officials.
"There's no place for bullies in Parliament," she told BBC's Newsnight.
She said Mr Sunak appointed Sir Gavin "with full knowledge of serious allegations about his conduct and repeatedly expressed confidence in him".
"This is yet another example of Rishi Sunak's poor judgment and weak leadership," she added.
Speaking at PMQs today, Mr Sunak said: "Unequivocally, the behaviour complained of was unacceptable.
“And it is absolutely right, it is absolutely right, that the right honourable gentleman has resigned.
“For the record, I did not know about any of the specific concerns relating to his conduct as Secretary of State or chief whip, which date back some years.
"I believe that people in public life should treat others with consideration and respect, and those are the principles that this Government will stand by."
But Keir Starmer questioned why the PM’s letter last night voiced “sadness” at the resignation - despite claims Sir Gavin told a civil servant to “slit your throat”.
And MPs jeered as Mr Sunak repeated his commitment from his first speech as PM to "integrity, professionalism and accountability”.
Despite allowing Sir Gavin to resign of his own accord, the PM said the public want to see “when circumstances like this arise they will be dealt with properly.”
Two cases have been referred to Parliament’s bullying watchdog - one over texts Sir Gavin sent the Chief Whip and another over the “slit your throat” incident.
Sir Gavin has said he rejects the characterisation of his words, but has not denied he said the words themselves.
The Prime Minister said: "I obviously regret appointing someone who has had to resign in these circumstances.
“But I think what the British people would like to know is that when situations like this arise that they will be dealt with properly.
"And that's why it is absolutely right that he resigned and it's why it is absolutely right that there is an investigation to look into these matters properly.
“I said my Government will be characterised by integrity, professionalism, and accountability and it will."
But Keir Starmer said everyone knows someone like Rishi Sunak - "the boss who is so weak, so worried the bullies will turn on him that he hides behind them.
“What message does he think it sends when rather than take on the bullies, he lines up alongside them and thanks them for their loyalty?"
Labour’s leader highlighted Shell who “haven’t paid a penny in income tax”. The PM replied: “I was the Chancellor who introduced an extra tax on the oil and gas company”.
But Labour’s leader pressed on: “It’s a pattern with this Prime Minister.
“Too weak to sack the security threat sitting round the Cabinet table.
“Too weak to take part in a leadership contest after he lost the first one.
“Too weak to stand up for working people.
“He spent weeks flirting with the climate change deniers in his party then scuttled off to COP at the last minute.
“In the Budget next week he’ll be too weak to end his oil and gas giveaway, scrap the non-nom tax breaks and end the farce of taxpayers subsidising private schools.”
Meanwhile Keir Starmer once again laid into environmental protesters, almost three years after he insisted “campaigning for action on the climate crisis is hugely important.”
He said: “I’m against all those causing chaos, damage to our public services and our economy - whether they are gluing themselves to the road, or sitting on the government benches”.
Suspended Labour MP Neil Coyle called for Rishi Sunak to block Covid law-breakers from the Lords in Boris Johnson ’s honours list.
When he was heckled by Tories, Mr Coyle snapped: “He may not like it but you can all go eat kangaroo testicles for all I care.”
