THE SNP have said that Rishi Sunak’s promises of “integrity” have been exposed as “utter guff” following the revelation that he was aware that Gavin Williamson was the subject of a complaint for allegedly bullying a colleague when he brought him back into the Government.
The Sunday Times disclosed that then-party chairman Jake Berry informed Sunak when he became Prime Minister that the then-chief whip Wendy Morton had complained about a series of texts sent to her by Williamson.
The Cabinet Office minister accused Morton of using the death of the Queen to “punish” senior MPs who were out of favour with Liz Truss’s government.
Speaking to Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said: “As you have seen from the former chairman Jake Berry, he says that he highlighted that to the Prime Minister.
#Ridge: Gavin Williamson is being investigated for alleged bullying towards the former chief Whip.. what's your reaction to his messages? Oliver Dowden: "These were sent in the heat of the moment.. that's in the past.. but the PM still has confidence in Williamson" #bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/XwLaT0wZP2
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) November 6, 2022
“But in terms of the specific allegations, the specific exchange, the Prime Minister wasn’t aware of it until last night.”
Asked if the PM had confidence in Williamson, Dowden said: “Of course the Prime Minister continues to have confidence in Gavin Williamson.”
He added Sunak was aware Williamson had a “difficult relationship” with Morton, who was chief whip under Truss.
Dowden said that the messages were “sent in the heat of the moment”.
He continued: “I don’t think it was any secret that Gavin Williamson and other backbenchers had a difficult relationship with the chief whip.
"[Sunak] was aware that there was a difficult relationship between the chief whip and a number of backbenchers, of which Gavin Williamson was one.”
Dowden added that Williamson regretted sending the messages at what had been a “difficult time” for the Conservative Party.
He said: “They were sent in the heat of the moment expressing frustration. 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.”
The Scottish Greens have called for Williamson to be sacked in light of recent events and called into question the Prime Minister’s “integrity”.
Sunak has already faced heavy criticism for re-appointing Suella Braverman to the Cabinet after she left the role due to an email-related security breach.
MSP Maggie Chapman said: “For all Rishi Sunak’s pronouncements about restoring integrity and accountability, if it is true he knew about this aggressive behaviour before appointing Gavin Williamson then his judgement is once again called into question.
“His only option now is to sack Mr Williamson and given the scandal remaining around his Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, she must be shown the door too otherwise his failure will place his fledgling leadership in jeopardy.”
She added: “Another day, another Prime Minister, another scandal, same old story – a Tory government rotten to the core.”
Meanwhile, the SNP have said that Sunak’s promises of “integrity, professionalism and accountability” have been exposed as “utter guff”.
A spokesperson for the party said: “Sunak’s appointment of Suella Braverman and Gavin Williamson, full in the knowledge of who and what they are as people and politicians, shows his government is simply more of the same old disgraceful same old.
“No amount of new Prime Ministers or Cabinet reshuffles will solve the fundamental nastiness of the Tory party because the Tory party is the problem.”
The spokesperson also reiterated calls for a general election.
