Concerns have been raised over Rishi Sunak’s decision to appoint Gavin Williamson back into the cabinet after the former chief whip Wendy Morton accused him of sending “vile and threatening messages” to her.
Morton made a formal complaint to the Conservative party over claims of Williamson’s “threatening behaviour” towards her in the final days of Liz Truss’s government.
She passed on details of the messages, which she considered had a misogynistic undertone, sources told Tortoise Media.
A source close to Williamson told Tortoise 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”.
Labour says this complaint raises “fresh questions” on Sunak’s judgment in “resurrecting ministers who left government under a cloud of misconduct.”
Williamson has been sacked twice. Theresa May forced him to step down as defence secretary after an inquiry into a leak from the National Security Council raising security fears and Boris Johnson ousted him from cabinet over his handling of the exam fiasco when he was education secretary.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader said: “Gavin Williamson was sacked from cabinet twice, yet despite risking national security he has now been put at the heart of the government’s corporate headquarters.
“Given his new role and the seriousness of these allegations, there must be an urgent and independent investigation.
“Far from restoring integrity, professionalism, and accountability, Rishi Sunak is failing to stop the rot. He promised that appointing an independent ethics adviser would be one of the first things he would do as prime minister, but instead he has given us more of the same old sleaze.”
Days before Truss was forced to quit No 10, Morton’s status as chief whip was in the balance amid talk that she had resigned over the fracking vote in the Commons last Wednesday, only for Downing Street to insist she remained in the post hours later.
Williamson and CCHQ have been approached for comment.
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