World

Timeline: How did Sir Gavin Williamson go from cabinet to kerb?

Published

3 years ago

November 9, 2022

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Sir Gavin Williamson’s third stint in the cabinet was by far his shortest.

He made his return to the government only two weeks ago, when Rishi Sunak appointed him as a Cabinet Office minister.

Once allegations that he had sent “abusive” text messages emerged, he was gone within 72 hours, returning to the backbenches for a third time in his parliamentary career.

Here’s how the former defence secretary and former education secretary also became a former Cabinet Office minister.

Saturday 5 November

Late in the evening, claims that Sir Gavin had sent expletive-laden texts to his fellow MP Wendy Morton when she was Liz Truss’s chief whip drop in an article on the Sunday Times website.

He had “lashed out” at his colleague in the messages, according to the report, claiming she had excluded him from attending the Queen’s funeral for political reasons and warning her “there is a price for everything”.

Damningly for Mr Sunak, it says Ms Morton had told the party the day before the prime minister took office that she wished to make a formal complaint.

Sir Jake Berry, who lost his job as Tory chairman in Mr Sunak’s reshuffle, claims in a statement he had also told the prime minister and his incoming chief of staff that Ms Morton was submitting a complaint that day.

Number 10 refuses to respond to the claims.

Sunday 6 November

As questions mount over how much Mr Sunak knew of the allegations, Oliver Dowden, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, is sent out by Downing Street in his defence on the traditional Sunday political programmes.

He tells Sky News’ Sophy Ridge that Mr Sunak knew there was a “difficult relationship” between Sir Gavin and Ms Morton, but “wasn’t aware” of “specific allegations” until Saturday evening.

Mr Dowden adds that Sir Gavin “regrets the language he used” and also suggests that a number of individuals had “a difficult relationship” with Ms Morton.

“These were sent in the heat of the moment expressing frustration,” he says. “It was a difficult time for the party. He now accepts that he shouldn’t have done it and he regrets doing so. Thankfully, we are in a better place now as a party.”

Mr Dowden insists Mr Sunak has full confidence in his minister.

That morning Labour calls for an “urgent independent investigation” into the appointment of Sir Gavin, with shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband warning against a “cover-up” over the allegations.

Speaking to Sophy Ridge, Mr Miliband says the matter “really calls into question Rishi Sunak’s judgement and the way he made decisions about his cabinet”, adding Sir Gavin’s reappointment was “not in the public interest”.

“There needs to be an urgent independent investigation into exactly what happened. We can’t have a cover-up, we can’t have a whitewash here,” he says.

Monday 7 November

Downing Street continues to back Sir Gavin. But another article in The Times raises further questions about his time as chief whip in 2016 under Theresa May.

A minister tells the paper that when she was on the backbenches and campaigning on an issue that was causing difficulties for the government, Sir Gavin raised details about her private life in an attempt to silence her – which she interpreted as a tacit threat.

Mr Sunak attends the COP27 climate conference in Egypt and reporters specifically ask about the texts Sir Gavin allegedly sent to Ms Morton.

The PM says it is “right” for an independent complaints investigation to take place into accusations “before making any decisions about the future”.

But he says he had made it “very clear that the language is not right [and] not acceptable”, adding: “That’s why I welcome the fact Gavin Williamson has expressed regret about that.”

Come Monday evening, another incendiary story drops in The Guardian.

A former civil servant who worked under Sir Gavin when he was defence secretary between 2017 and 2019 claims he told them to “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window” in what they felt was a sustained campaign of bullying.

The civil servant, who later left government, says Sir Gavin “deliberately demeaned and intimidated” them on a regular basis. They say they reported the incidents informally to the MoD’s head of human resources, but decided against making a formal complaint.

Sir Gavin releases a statement saying he strongly rejects the allegations and had “enjoyed good working relationships with the many brilliant officials I have worked with across government”.

Tuesday 8 November

In the morning, it is confirmed that rather than leaving the investigation to the Tory party, Ms Morton has referred the text messages to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), the parliamentary watchdog.

Downing Street again insists that the prime minister believes Sir Gavin’s account of the events, but a spokesman describes the civil servant’s allegations as “serious” and says it would consider “proper processes” before commenting further.

The spokesman hints Mr Sunak might not wait until the end of investigations to make a decision about Sir Gavin’s future, but confirms he had attended cabinet that morning.

By early evening, a new allegation emerges on Channel 4 News – this time by Anne Milton, a former deputy chief whip who worked under Sir Gavin.

She tells the programme he “loved salacious gossip and would use it as leverage against MPs if the need arose” and also claims he used an MP’s financial situation as a source of leverage.

At about 7pm, the ex-civil servant tells Sky News they are going to raise a formal complaint to the ICGS too, saying Sir Gavin’s “words and actions had an extreme impact on my mental health”.

At 8.11pm, Sir Gavin resigns in a letter on Twitter.

He said he refuted the “characterisation” of the claims, but that the allegations were “becoming a distraction for the good work this government is doing for the British people” so he would step down and focus on clearing his name.

World

Trump applying ‘heavy pressure’ on Netanyahu to end war in Gaza

Published

6 hours ago

July 9, 2025

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Trump applying 'heavy pressure' on Netanyahu to end war in Gaza

US President Donald Trump is putting “heavy” pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza, two sources close to the ceasefire negotiations have told Sky News.

One US source said: “The US pressure on Israel has begun, and tonight it will be heavy.”

The source, who is not authorised to speak publicly, was referring to the White House dinner on Monday night between Trump and Netanyahu.

A second Middle Eastern diplomatic source agreed that the American pressure on Israel would be intense.

Netanyahu arrived in Washington DC in the early hours of Monday morning and held meetings on Monday with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, and Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and national security adviser.

The Israeli prime minister plans to be in Washington until Thursday with meetings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Trump has made clear his desire to bring the Gaza conflict to an end.

However, he has never articulated how a lasting peace, which would satisfy both the Israelis and Palestinians, could be achieved.

His varying comments about ownership of Gaza, moving Palestinians out of the territory and permanent resettlement, have presented a confusing policy.

Situation for Palestinians worse than ever

Over the coming days, we will see the extent to which Trump demands that Netanyahu accepts the current Gaza ceasefire deal, even if it falls short of Israel’s war aims – the elimination of Hamas.

The strategic objective to permanently remove Hamas seems always to have been impossible. Hamas as an entity was the extreme consequence of the Israeli occupation.

The Palestinians’ challenge has not gone away, and the situation for Palestinians now is worse than it has ever been in Gaza and also the West Bank. It is not clear how Trump plans to square that circle.

Trump’s oft-repeated desire to “stop the killing” is sincere. Those close to him often emphasise this. He is also looking to cement his legacy as a peacemaker. He genuinely craves the Nobel Peace Prize.

In this context, the complexities of conflicts – in Ukraine or Gaza – are often of secondary importance to the president.

If Netanyahu can be persuaded to end the war, what would he need?

The hostages back – for sure. That would require agreement from Hamas. They would only agree to this if they have guarantees on Gaza’s future and their own future. More circles to square.

Was White House dinner a key moment?

The Monday night dinner could have been a key moment for the Middle East. Two powerful men in the Blue Room of the White House, deciding the direction of the region.

Will it be seen as the moment the region was remoulded? But to whose benefit?

Trump is a dealmaker with an eye on the prize. But Netanyahu is a political master; they don’t call him “the magician” for nothing.

Trump makes decisions instinctively. He can shift position quickly and often listens to the last person in the room. Right now – that person is Netanyahu.

Gaza is one part of a jigsaw of challenges, which could become opportunities.

Diplomatic normalisation between Israel and the Arab world is a prize for Trump and could genuinely secure him the Nobel Peace Prize.

But without the Gaza piece, the jigsaw is incomplete.

World

IDF presence in Gaza ‘only issue’ still to be resolved in push for Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Sky News understands

Published

6 hours ago

July 9, 2025

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IDF presence in Gaza 'only issue' still to be resolved in push for Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Sky News understands

Only one issue remains unresolved in the push to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Sky sources.

Intense negotiations are taking place in Qatar in parallel with key talks in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations have told Sky News that disagreement between Israel and Hamas remains on the status and presence of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza.

The two sides have bridged significant differences on several other issues, including the process of delivering humanitarian aid and Hamas’s demand that the US guarantees to ensure Israel doesn’t unilaterally resume the war when the ceasefire expires in 60 days.

On the issue of humanitarian aid, Sky News understands that a third party that neither Hamas nor Israel has control over will be used in areas from which the IDF withdraws.

This means that the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – jointly run by an American organisation and Israel – will not be able to operate anywhere where the IDF is not deployed. It will limit GHF expansion plans.

It is believed the United Nations or other recognised humanitarian organisations will adopt a greater role.

On the issue of a US guarantee to prevent Israel restarting the war, Sky News understands that a message was passed to Hamas by Dr Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian American who has emerged as a key back channel in the negotiations.

The message appears to have been enough to convince Hamas that President Trump will prevent Israel from restarting the conflict.

However, there is no sense from any of the developments over the course of the past day about what the future of Gaza looks like longer-term.

Final challenge is huge

The last remaining disagreement is, predictably, the trickiest to bridge.

Israel’s central war aim, beyond the return of the hostages, is the total elimination of Hamas as a military and political organisation. The withdrawal of the IDF, partial or total, could allow Hamas to regroup.

One way to overcome this would be to provide wider guarantees of clear deliverable pathways to a viable future for Palestinians.

But there is no sense from the negotiations of any longer-term commitments on this issue.

Two key blocks have been resolved over the past 24 hours but the final challenge is huge.

The conflict in Gaza erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Some 20 hostages are believed to remain alive in Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

World

‘Widespread sexual violence’ took place during Hamas’s 7 October attacks, report by Israeli experts says

Published

15 hours ago

July 8, 2025

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'Widespread sexual violence' took place during Hamas's 7 October attacks, report by Israeli experts says

A newly released report led by Israeli legal and gender experts presents detailed evidence alleging “widespread and systematic” sexual violence during the Hamas-led terror attack on 7 October.

Warning: This story contains descriptions of rape and sexual violence

The findings, published by the Dinah Project, argue that these acts amount to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and assert that “Hamas used sexual violence as a tactical weapon of war”.

The report draws on 18 months of investigation and is based on survivor testimonies, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with first responders, morgue personnel and healthcare professionals.

According to the Dinah Project, the documented patterns – such as forced nudity, gang rapes, genital mutilation, and threats of forced marriage – indicate a deliberate and coordinated use of sexual violence by Hamas operatives during the attack.

Reported incidents span at least six locations, including the Nova music festival, and several kibbutzim in southern Israel.

One section of the report describes victims “found fully or partially naked from the waist down, with their hands tied behind their backs and/or to structures such as trees and poles, and shot”.

At the Nova music festival and surrounding areas, the investigators found “reasonable grounds to believe” that multiple women were raped or gang-raped before being killed.

The report’s findings are consistent with earlier investigations by the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict previously concluded that there were “reasonable grounds to believe” CRSV took place during the attack.

Significantly, the Dinah Project urges the international community to officially recognise the use of sexual violence by Hamas as a deliberate strategy of war and calls on the United Nations to add Hamas to its list of parties responsible for conflict-related sexual violence.

The nature and scale of sexual violence on 7 October have been a subject of intense controversy, with some accusing parties of weaponising the narrative for political ends.

This report seeks to confront what its authors call “denial, misinformation, and global silence,” and to provide justice for the victims.

Hamas has denied that its fighters have used sexual violence and mistreated female hostages.