Gavin Williamson, British minister, resigns after allegations of bullying

London
CNN
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British Cabinet Office Minister Gavin Williamson He resigned from his post on Tuesday after the latest allegations of bullying, saying the accusations against him had “become a distraction from the good work this government is doing”.

“As you know, there is a complaints process going on regarding the text messages I sent to a colleague,” Williamson said in his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“I am committed to this process and have apologized to the recipient for these messages. Since then, there have been other allegations about my past behaviour. I refute the characterization of these allegations, but I realize that these have become a distraction to the good work that this government is doing for the British people,” added in the message.

“I have therefore decided to step back from the government so that I can fully comply with the ongoing complaints process and clear my name of any wrongdoing,” Williamson said.

The Palestinian News Agency said Sunak accepted his resignation “with great sadness.” “I want to thank you for your personal support and loyalty,” Sunak said.

Williamson’s current term in government only lasted for 14 days. As a close ally of Sunak, Williamson has faced increasing calls to quit smoking after allegations of bullying.

Former Whip Vice President Anne Milton described Williamson’s behavior five years ago, when he was the whip boss, as “threatening” and “frightening,” in an interview with Channel 4 news published Tuesday.

Milton, who worked alongside Williamson in the Whip Bureau – which enforces party discipline – also described his behavior as “immoral and immoral”.

“I get the impression that he likes outrageous gossip and will use it as leverage against MPs if the need arises,” Milton told the announcer.

Williamson has yet to publicly respond to Milton’s allegations. CNN has reached out to the lawmaker for comment.

Williamson said later on Tuesday that he would not receive any severance payments after resigning, Writing on Twitter That “this is taxpayer money, and should instead go toward government priorities such as reducing NHS waiting lists.”

He was a Conservative Party legislator previously fired He was dismissed from his position as defense minister in 2019 by then-Prime Minister Theresa May over the leaking of a major decision related to Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

May’s decision followed an investigation into how the Daily Telegraph discovered that the UK government was preparing to give Huawei access to parts of the country’s 5G mobile network. Williamson at the time “vigorously” denied that he was the source of the leak, in a message posted to his Twitter account.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson later appointed him Secretary of State for Education, an ominous briefing that saw Williamson preside over a controversial meeting Exam score algorithm During the Covid-19 pandemic, when testing cannot be done. The grading system was scrapped after widespread outrage from parents, students and teachers.

Williamson also made waves by appearing confused Two big black British sports starstold an interviewer that he spoke to Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford – who has been campaigning for free school meals for needy children during the pandemic – when in fact he met rugby player Maru Itogi.

Johnson dismissed him from the post in 2021 during a cabinet reshuffle.

Williamson is also a former former president, and before his resignation on Tuesday, he served as a minister without portfolio in Sunak’s cabinet.