Gavin Williamson quit his role on Tuesday after recent accusations of bullying. He said that the allegations were becoming a distraction to the good work others were doing.
The resignation of the UK’s Education secretary, Gavin Williamson, is raising questions about recent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s judgment.
Williamson said in his letter addressed to PM Sunak that he acknowledges the inquiry that’s going on him regarding a text he sent to one of his colleagues.
“I am in full compliance with this process, and I would like to apologize for those messages, which are in the past. Other recent allegations have been made about my conduct that I want to refute and characterize as unfounded.”
He added, “These allegations are becoming a distraction for the good work the UK government does for British citizens.”
Williamson has decided to stop working as a government official so that he can cooperate fully with the ongoing complaints process and clear his name of any wrongdoing.
Reportedly, PM Sunak accepted his resignation with profound sadness. Sunak also thanked Williamson for his years of loyalty and personal support.
Williamson was a member of the Sunak administration, and his tenure lasted only 14 days. As Gavin formerly served as an ally to Sunak, he faced growing calls from critics to resign after subsequent accusations of bullying.
Moreover, this was not the first time when Gavin was accused of something. Earlier in 2017, he was dismissed from office after the allegations of leaking sensitive information.
Theresa May was the PM of the UK during this incident. The inquiry conducted under the supervision of May found that he was leaking sensitive data of the 5G networks of the country to the private company Huawei.
However, the allegations were denied by Williamson, and he said that he had nothing to do with the case and it was a trap.
He was later appointed to the position of Secretary of State for Education, but his brief involved presiding over a controversial grade-scoring algorithm during the COVID-19 pandemic. After widespread anger from parents, students, and educators, he scrapped the system.
His colleague Milton who has been working with him closely said that according to the party’s discipline policies, Williamson’s behavior is immoral and unethical.
Williamson will not be taking any severance pay after resigning as MP because he says that the taxpayers’ money is more important. He said that this money should go towards the betterment of society.
This high-profile resignation case has shifted the interest of the party members. Additionally, Sunak’s ministers are worried that the opposition can use this incident in their favor in the future.
Incidents like this raise questions about the ability of the newly elected Prime Minister. People start judging their abilities and get doubt if the new PM is capable of making decisions that have a profound effect on the country.
Sunak took over the office a few days back, and such news is indeed not good for any government. Hopefully, this will be sorted out soon.
