Sir Gavin Williamson’s charge sheet was getting longer and the PM lost patience – the departure was inevitable
He had to go. It was inevitable. The charge sheet against Sir Gavin Williamson was getting longer, not just by the day, but by the hour.
It was impossible for him to survive, given the damage the bullying row was doing to Rishi Sunak.
Did he jump or was he pushed? Despite Sir Gavin claiming in his resignation letter that he had become a distraction, he was almost certainly pushed.
Reaction as Williamson forced out for third time – politics live
The prime minister who promised accountability and integrity on the day he succeeded Liz Truss had clearly decided enough was enough.
Earlier, Number 10 said Mr Sunak still had full confidence in Sir Gavin and believed his denials – but that was always too risky. Many Conservative MPs were questioning whether the damage to the prime minister was worth it.
It was always likely that Sir Gavin would go before this week’s prime minister’s questions.
Last week, Sir Keir Starmer tormented Mr Sunak with a powerful onslaught on his reappointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary six days after Ms Truss sacked her for a security breach.
The PM didn’t want a repeat of that sort of painful experience at his high noon with the Labour leader this week, especially since his appointment of Sir Gavin was arguably even more reckless than the home secretary’s swift return.
The charge sheet – which the former director of public prosecutions will no doubt read to the jury of public opinion at PMQs – begins with Sir Gavin’s abusive and threatening texts to former chief whip Wendy Morton about not being invited to the Queen’s funeral.
Laid bare in excruciating detail in The Sunday Times, they included the menacing: “Don’t forget I know how this works so don’t puss me about”, “let’s see how many more times you **** us all over”, and “there is a price for everything”.
Then on Monday, The Times reported that a government minister claimed that when Sir Gavin was chief whip, he raised details about her private life in a conversation in an attempt to silence her when she was on the backbenches.
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Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of making a ‘grubby deal’ with Suella Braverman
Thirdly, The Guardian reported that a former senior civil servant claimed Sir Gavin told them to “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window” in a sustained campaign of bullying, in which he “deliberately demeaned and intimidated” them on a regular basis while he was defence secretary.
Ultimately, and crucially, that civil servant – after seeing the texts to Wendy Morton – turned up the heat on Sir Gavin by reporting his behaviour at the Ministry of Defence to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), the parliamentary watchdog, claiming his words and actions had an extreme impact on their mental health. That could be a slow process, however, as Ms Morton may also discover.
As chief whip, Sir Gavin revelled in his reputation as a menacing enforcer in the style of Michael Dobbs’ chief whip Francis Urquhart in House Of Cards. The real life chief whip even famously kept a tarantula called Cronus on his desk.
After the “slit your throat” allegation, as Downing Street and fellow ministers struggled to defend Sir Gavin, the most hilarious attempt at backing for him came from Mel Stride, the newly appointed work and pensions secretary.
“The reality with Cronus is he was much touted but he never actually was released to bite anybody,” he told Kay Burley on Sky News. Oh, that’s OK then.
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Mel Stride says the former defence secretary and his spider, Cronus, had a ‘mystique’ about them
Nicky Morgan, the former Tory cabinet minister, told a different story in a TV interview: “I had my run-ins with Gavin Williamson when he was Theresa May’s chief whip. None of this surprises me, sadly. This is a story that is going to keep on giving.”
That was always the case. And that was the problem for the prime minister. The consensus among MPs is that he only handed Sir Gavin his comeback as a reward for a political crony who helped him – eventually – win the Tory crown.
Another view among Tory MPs is that Sir Gavin’s post as minister of state in the Cabinet Office, sweetened by the perk of attending cabinet, was effectively a non-job with no departmental responsibilities.
In reality, though, he was in the Cabinet Office as an enforcer and fixer for the PM. It was the same job that cricket-loving Tory MP Sir Nigel Adams did for Boris Johnson.
And in a further example of cronyism, Sir Nigel has now been nominated for a peerage by Mr Johnson as a reward for batting for his old boss.
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Rishi Sunak promised to earn the trust of voters in his first speech as PM
One seemingly preposterous conspiracy theory being put about by allies of Sir Gavin is that the attempts to discredit him were all a plot by friends of the ousted Ms Truss.
The theory went that it was Sir Jake Berry, Tory chairman under Ms Truss and another close ally of Mr Johnson, who instigated an inquiry inside party HQ into Sir Gavin’s expletive-laden texts to Ms Morton.
However, Ms Morton – one of Ms Truss’s closest allies – has now escalated her bullying complaint, fearing a whitewash by the Conservative Party, it’s claimed. A whitewash in a bullying inquiry? What a suggestion!
Ms Morton has also referred Sir Gavin to the ICGS. But many in parliament regard the ICGS – set up after the so-called Pest-minster scandal – as useless and toothless.
Its latest annual report, published – conveniently – in the period between Ms Truss’s resignation and Mr Sunak becoming Tory leader – revealed that it took an average of 196 days to conclude an investigation.
That’s more than six months. Painfully and inexcusably slow. And talk to any Commons staffers who have accused an MP of bullying and they’ll also tell you the process is rigged in favour of the accused, not the accuser, and MPs are judge and jury in the process.
So for Sir Gavin, the bigger threat to his remaining in his Cabinet Office “non-job” than an ICGS investigation was always going to be the charge sheet against him getting even longer in the coming days.
Ominously for Sir Gavin, hours before his resignation Mr Sunak signalled he may not wait for the results of the two inquiries before acting.
That’s clearly what happened. His protector, the prime minister, obviously lost patience with him and decided to call time on Sir Gavin’s comeback.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping today for what is likely to be his last time as US president.
The two leaders are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Peruvian capital, Lima.
It comes against the backdrop of increasing tension in the US-China relationship with a potential trade war looming under a Trump presidency, several China hawks tapped for US cabinet positions and China’s growing status among global south countries as an emerging leader of an alternative world order.
This week China was focused on events in the southern city of Zhuhai.
First there was a car ramming attack at Zhuhai’s sports stadium which left 25 people dead. A shocking event that was heavily censored in China.
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What happened at Zhuhai sports centre?
Less than an hour’s drive away the country was holding its premier air show.
It was a military enthusiast’s dream, and not even intermittent rain could keep the crowds of tens of thousands of people away from relishing in the roar of jets in the skies above Zhuhai.
China’s fighter jet fleet
One of the main drawcards was China’s newest stealth fighter the J-35A. It will join the country’s J-20 in service for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
A J-35A stealth aircraft flies during the exhibition. Pic: Reuters
The J-10C was China’s aerobatics star of the show. There were daily displays of its prowess in sky-high manoeuvres and formations that impressed onlookers, leaving a streak of colours across the cloudy rain-clogged sky.
China’s aerobatic team
China’s military modernsiation programme is continuing apace
It boasts the largest navy in the world and the largest armed forces by active-duty personnel.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Airforce is developing fast too.
Dr Nicole Leveringhaus, a China security expert from King’s College London, says: “China started with very little. It was devastated by wars on many fronts in the 30s and 40s. Its defence industry was depleted. In 70-plus years it’s built itself up and now we’re seeing the results.
“It’s an impressive feat to go from a bloated land-based peasant guerrilla army to what it has to today.”
Chinese pride and nationalism on display
Enjoying the air show spectacle, military fan Liu Liansong said: “I think the air show is great. It is a firm manifestation of the air force’s development from scratch. We as Chinese people feel very proud.”
Inside the air show
The air show included massive exhibition halls of military hardware, from drones to robotics, firearms and mock missiles. Merely getting from one end of the venue to the other through densely packed crowds was a mission.
Russia in the air
The other crowd puller this week was Russia’s aerobatic air force unit, performing daily theatrics at dizzying speeds.
It is another sign of the deepening ties between China and Russia.
Russia’s aerobatic team shows off for the crowd
One Russian tourist and recreational pilot, Yulia, told Sky News: “Both sides are looking for good communication in business, aviation and in many spheres including tourism.”
The secretary of Russia’s security council and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu also visited the air show, viewing both Chinese and Russian-made jets.
In Beijing, secretary Shoigu was quoted by Russian state media as saying: “I see the most important task as countering the policy of ‘dual containment’ of Russia and China pursued by the United States and its satellites.”
One of Russia’s jets up close
The West is increasingly frustrated by China’s support of Russia. The US has sanctioned two Chinese companies, accusing them of being involved in the production of Russian aerial drones used on the battlefield.
China insists it is not supplying weapons to Russia.
One of the companies, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co, had a small stand in one of the exhibition halls. Its representatives declined Sky News’ request for an interview.
Tariff war brewing
Despite the raw military might on display in Zhuhai, in China there is uncertainty and unease about what an impending Donald Trump presidency will mean for global trade.
President-elect Trump has threatened blanket tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese products exported to the US.
This would be a serious blow to China’s target GDP growth and comes at a time when the country’s economy faces deep-set challenges.
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At the other end of the country, in Beijing analysts are weighing up the impact of possible tariffs and the Chinese government’s options to respond.
Senior Asia analyst Chim Lee, from The Economist Intelligence Unit, is not optimistic that a US-China agreement to minimise the damage can be reached.
Senior Asia analyst Chim Lee
“I think both sides have recognised that the era of making deals is passed,” Mr Lee said.
“We’re going to see China starting with some targeted measures, tariffs it feels more comfortable to impose,” he explained. “But there are also areas where China is starting to be a bit more aggressive.”
This action could include export controls on China’s production of critical minerals and retaliatory tariffs on US agriculture exports.
Trade competition, military posturing and complicated geo-political alliances have set the stage for a challenging next phase in US-China relations.
New pictures show the moment of impact as an Israeli missile hit a Beirut apartment block and exploded.
The block was one of five buildings destroyed by airstrikes on Friday alone.
Israel launched airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut in a fourth consecutive day of intense attacks.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press photographer captured a sequence of images showing an Israeli bomb approaching and hitting a multi-storey apartment building in Beirut’s Tayouneh area.
Richard Weir, a senior crisis, conflict and arms researcher at Human Rights Watch, reviewed the close-up photos to determine what type of weapon was used.
“The bomb and components visible in the photographs, including the strake, wire harness cover, and tail fin section, are consistent with a Mk-84 series 2,000-pound class general purpose bomb equipped with Boeing’s joint directed attack munition tail kit,” he told AP.
Pics: AP
Smoke covers a building that collapses following the strike. Pic: AP
Deadly strikes as bombardment stepped up
Israel stepped up its bombardment this week – an escalation that has coincided with signs of movement in US-led diplomacy towards a ceasefire.
The Israeli military said its fighter jets attacked munitions warehouses, a headquarters and other Hezbollah infrastructure. It issued a warning on social media identifying buildings ahead of the strikes.
Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike killed five members of the same family in a home in Ain Qana in the southern province of Nabatiyeh, Lebanon’s state media said.
The report said a mother, father and their three children were killed but didn’t provide their ages.
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Three other Israeli strikes killed six people and wounded 32 in different parts of Tyre province on Friday, also in south Lebanon, the report said.
Video footage also showed a building being struck and turning into a cloud of rubble and debris that billowed into Horsh Beirut, the city’s main park.
Residents check the site of the airstrike in Tayouneh, Beirut. Pic: AP
More than 3,200 people have been killed in Lebanon during 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah – most of them since mid-September.
About 27% of those killed were women and children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Israel dramatically escalated its bombardment of Lebanon from September, vowing to cripple Hezbollah and end its barrages in Israel.
Friday’s strikes come as Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has asked Iran to help secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The prime minister appeared to urge Ali Larijani, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to convince the militant group to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.
Iran is a main backer of Hezbollah and for decades has been funding and arming the Lebanese militant group.
On Thursday, Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister and a member of its security cabinet, said that prospects for a ceasefire with Lebanon were the most promising since the conflict began.
The Washington Post reported Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was rushing to advance a Lebanon ceasefire to deliver an early foreign policy win to his ally, US President-elect Donald Trump.
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
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