and Gavin Williamson a senior official is said to have said “slit your throat” in what they believe was a bullying campaign while he was defense minister.
Rishi Sunak is under mounting pressure over his decision to bring his ally back in Government after The Guardian reported new incendiary claims about his behaviour.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) official told the newspaper that Sir Gavin made the remarks in front of colleagues at a meeting, and on another occasion said he was “jumping out the window”.
I have been very clear that language is not good, it is not acceptable
The Cabinet Office minister said he “firmly rejects” the allegation and emphasized that he has “had good working relationships” with officials.
But the allegations, including that Sir Gavin has “deliberately humiliated and intimidated” the official on a regular basis, will no doubt add to calls for his resignation.
The Prime Minister is under fire for bringing Sir Gavin back into government, knowing he was under investigation for allegedly bullying former head whip Wendy Morton.
In a series of expletive-laden texts revealed over the weekend, Sir Gavin accused Ms Morton of trying to “punish” MPs out of favor with then Prime Minister Liz Truss by barring them from the Queen’s funeral, and warned : “There is a price for everything.”
Sir Gavin, who was fired as defense minister in 2019, issued a statement denying the broad allegations made in The Guardian’s report, but did not specifically deny the use of the alleged language.
“I strongly reject this allegation and have had good working relationships with the many brilliant officials I have worked with throughout the government,” he said.
“No specific allegations have ever been brought to my attention.”
The newspaper said the official, who later left the government, had lodged a complaint with the Defense Ministry’s chief of human resources about the alleged incidents, but it was clear that the cabinet’s decency and ethics team has not received a complaint about the alleged incidents. Sir Gavin’s conduct towards officials.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “The Cabinet Office has received no notification of formal complaints about the conduct of Gavin Williamson from his time with the Ministry of Defense or any other department.”
Conservative former minister Baroness Morgan said she had “run-ins” with Mr Williamson when he was Theresa May’s lead whip, adding, “None of this surprises me, unfortunately.”
She told TalkTV: “Unfortunately, Gavin has a reputation, it’s not very nice, and I really don’t know why Rishi Sunak thought he should have him back in government.”
Labor Party leader Anneliese Dodds said: “These allegations are extremely serious and speak to the toxic culture at the top of the Conservative Party.”
Earlier in the day, Mr Sunak defied calls to fire Sir Gavin, although he admitted his messages to Ms Morton were “not acceptable”.
The prime minister said he would only “make a verdict” after an “independent complaint inquiry”, which is believed to be the internal investigation launched by the Tory party.
“Of course I want to see the results of that, but I have been very clear that language is not right, it is not acceptable,” he told broadcasters at the Cop27 climate summit in Egypt.
“And so I applaud Gavin Williamson’s regrets and now wait to see what the investigation says.
“We currently have an independent complaints procedure. It would be good to complete that process before making any decisions about the future.”
Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry said he informed Mr Sunak on the day he took over the reins as Tory leader that Ms Morton had made a formal complaint about the reports.
The Prime Minister went ahead with the nomination the following day, with Downing Street saying he believed Sir Gavin would make a “significant contribution” to the government.
Mr Sunak has maintained that he was not aware of the details of the exchange at the time of bringing Sir Gavin back into government in the vague role of minister without portfolio.
Asked on Monday whether Mr Sunak had complete confidence in the Cabinet Office minister, his official spokesman said: “Yes.”
The spokesperson emphasized why the Prime Minister gave Sir Gavin the job, adding: “Of course he thinks he can make a significant contribution to the government.”
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said the twice-fired minister is “clearly unfit” for the job and Mr Sunak, who appoints his ally to the government, is showing he is “weak”.
Liberal Democrat chief Wendy Chamberlain said the cabinet minister should be fired because “in any other workplace someone who behaved the way he did would have justifiably been fired for gross misconduct”.
The prime minister’s spokesman said Mr Sunak has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying within the government but would not commit to a timeline for appointing a new ethics adviser.
“A process is underway. We will keep you informed as soon as possible,” he said.
Sir Gavin, who was knighted by Boris Johnson earlier this year, is a divisive figure in Westminster, where he is viewed with suspicion by many Tory MPs for his reputation as an inveterate conspirator.
He was fired first by Theresa May as Defense Secretary for leaking details of a National Security Council meeting, then by Mr Johnson as Education Secretary over the Covid-19 A-levels debacle.
However, he was considered a key figure in Mr Sunak’s campaign to become party leader over the summer.