London
CNN
—
British Cabinet Office Minister Gavin Williamson He resigned from his post on Tuesday following the latest allegations of bullying, saying the allegations against him “become a distraction from the good work this government is doing”.
“As you are aware, complaints regarding text messages I sent to a colleague are pending,” Williamson wrote in his resignation letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“I comply with this process and I have apologized to the recipient for those messages. Since then, various allegations have been made about my past conduct. I deny the characterization of these claims, but I recognize that they become a distraction from the good work this government is doing for the British people,” he wrote in the letter. He also said.
“I have therefore decided to step back from government so that I can fully comply with the ongoing complaints process and clear my name of any wrongdoing,” Williamson said.
Sunak accepted his resignation “with great sadness,” the PA news agency reported. “I want to thank you for your personal support and loyalty,” Sunak said.
Williamson’s current position in government was sustained for 14 days. Williamson, considered a close Sunak ally, has faced calls to quit following allegations of bullying.
Ann Milton, the former deputy chief whip, described Williamson as “intimidating” and “intimidating” when he was chief whip five years ago, in an interview with Channel 4 News on Tuesday.
Milton, who worked alongside Williamson in the whip’s office – enforcing party discipline – also described his behavior as “unethical and immoral”.
“I got the impression he loved precious gossip and would use it against MPs if need be,” Milton told the broadcaster.
Williamson has yet to publicly react to Milton’s claims. CNN reached out to the lawmaker for comment.
He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Conservative Party previously deleted In 2019, the then Prime Minister, Theresa May, was sacked as Defense Secretary over the leak of a key decision on Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
May’s decision follows how the Daily Telegraph newspaper discovered the UK government was preparing to give Huawei access to parts of the country’s 5G mobile network. Williamson “vehemently” denied evidence of the leak in a letter on his Twitter account at the time.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson later appointed him Secretary of State for Education, a position that saw Williams take on a controversial leadership role. Exam Grading Protocol During the Covid-19 pandemic, testing could not be conducted. The ranking system was scrapped after widespread outrage from parents, students and educators.
Williamson also appeared confused and made waves Two great black British sports starsHe told an interviewer that he had spoken to Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford – who has been campaigning for free school meals for children in need during the pandemic – and had actually met rugby player Maro Itoje.
Johnson removed him from the role during a cabinet reshuffle in 2021.
Williamson is also a former chief whip and served as a minister without portfolio in Sunak’s government before he resigned on Tuesday.