UK cabinet minister Gavin Williamson resigns amid chief whip scandal
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Gavin Williamson resigns over accusations of berating former Conservative chief whip.
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Gavin Williamson (Alamy)
Gavin Williamson resigned as minister after letters berating the former Conservative chief whip for not securing his invitation to the Queen's funeral came to light.
— Gavin Williamson (@GavinWilliamson) November 8, 2022
Earlier in November, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak found himself in hot water after Gavin Williamson, the formerly twice-dismissed cabinet minister whom Sunak recently reappointed, was accused of bullying Conservative MP Wendy Morton.
Morton filed a formal complaint to the Conservative party stating she received "vile and threatening messages" from Gavin when she was chief whip under former PM Truss' leadership.
Though Williamson is generally believed to be harmless, he has often been called a "prick" by some of his peers and social media users.
A source close to Williamson said he "strongly refutes these allegations" and is "very happy to share all communications with the former chief whip with CCHQ [Conservative campaign headquarters] if needed."
The Conservative party did not comment on the issue, adding that the complaint is a private matter that is only dealt with internally.
But if an independent investigation is launched on reports of Gavin's misconduct, UK's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may find himself in hot water if the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team is requested to look into the allegations.
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