Amid Westminster harassment scandal
Just a day after Michael Fallon quit saying his past behaviour may have ‘fallen short’ of the standards expected by the UK military, Prime Minister Theresa May is reportedly facing a Tory backlash over her decision to appoint Gavin Williamson as the new defence secretary.
Amid the growing Westminster sexual harassment scandal, Sir Michael quit his post last evening. Following this, the 41-year-old Williamson was promoted as the new defence secretary. He has been May’s chief whip and is seen as one of her most dependable lieutenants.
Read related story: Defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon resigns admitting his behaviour had ‘fallen short’
The promotion of Williamson has left many Tories privately seething at a time when the Government wrestles with the growing Westminster harassment scandal.
One former minister told MailOnline that May was overseeing a ‘chumocracy’ and Williamson ‘knifing people’ had not gone down well with colleagues.
According to the media, Williamson was previously close to David Cameron as his parliamentary aide, and when the former Prime Minister stood down is reported to have made it his mission to stop Boris Johnson’s leadership bid.
Williamson was born in Scarborough in 1976 and attended University of Bradford, where he read social sciences.
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