Sir Gavin Williamson has resigned from his position in the government following a series of bullying allegations.
The former Minister of State said he hopes to 'clear my name of any wrongdoing' in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but 'refuted' the 'characterisation' of the claims made against him.
Sir Gavin has been accused of telling a civil servant to 'slit their throat' and on another occasion to 'jump out a window'. In a previous statement he 'strongly' rejected the allegations, but tonight said he recognises the claims have become a 'distraction' from the 'good work' the government is doing.
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Offering his resignation to Sunak, the South Staffordshire MP said he resigns with 'real sadness', but is 'incredibly proud' to have worked in government.
Many of the allegations made against Sir Gavin took place during his time as defence secretary, where one official claimed his behaviour amounted to a sustained campaign of bullying.
The official, who no longer works in government, said Sir Gavin "deliberately demeaned and intimidated" them on a regular basis. It comes after a series of text messages by Sir Gavin to Tory colleague and then-Chief Whip Wendy Morton were revealed, in which he appears to tell her "not to push him about" and warn that "there is a price for everything".
In his resignation, Mr Williamson said he would 'comply fully' with the complaints process that is underway, and had apologised for the messages sent to Ms Morton.
Here is the full text of his letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak:
“As you know, there is an ongoing complaints process concerning text messages I sent to a colleague. I am complying with this process and have apologised to the recipient for those messages.
“Since then, there have been other allegations made about my past conduct. I refute the characterisation of these claims, but I recognise these are becoming a distraction for the good work this Government is doing.
“I have therefore decided to step back from Government so that I can comply fully with the complaints process that is under way and clear my name of any wrongdoing.
“It is with real sadness that I tender my resignation, but I want to take this opportunity to offer my full and total support from the back benches. I am incredibly proud to have worked with you in Government over the last few years and during the campaign.”
Here is the full text of Mr Sunak’s letter accepting Sir Gavin’s resignation:
“Thank you for your resignation letter.
“It is with great sadness that I accept your resignation. I know your commitment to successive Conservative governments and the party over the years has been unwavering.
“I support your decision to step back and understand why you have taken it.
“I would like to thank you for your personal support and loyalty. I know you will continue to represent your constituents with diligence and care.
“I also want to express my gratitude for the work you have done for this Government.”
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