Gavin Williamson

Gavin Williamson (2017)

Gavin Alexander Williamson CBE (born June 25, 1976 in Scarborough , England ) is a British Conservative Party politician . He was Secretary of Defense of the United Kingdom from November 2, 2017 to May 1, 2019 . Boris Johnson appointed him to his cabinet as Minister of Education on July 24, 2019 .

Life

Williamson attended the Raincliffe School in Scarborough , studied social sciences at the University of Bradford and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Gavin Williamson was elected to a county council in 2001. In 2005 he gave up the seat to get into state politics. He ran for the election for the seat of the constituency of Blackpool North and Fleetwood in the House of Commons , but was defeated by the Labor candidate Joan Humble . In 2010 he entered parliament as a Member of Parliament for South Staffordshire .

Williamson during the 55th MSC 2019

In 2010 Williamson became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson . In 2012 he moved to the Ministry of Transport in a similar role. In 2013 he finally became PPS with Prime Minister David Cameron .

Since July 2016 he was Chief Whip in the House of Commons . To his public fame, he kept a tarantula named Cronus on his desk, to the displeasure of some colleagues .

Following the resignation of Secretary of Defense Michael Fallon , Williamson was named Secretary of Defense in the May II Cabinet on November 2, 2017 .

Huawei leak and dismissal

As Secretary of Defense, Gavin Williamson attended National Security Council meetings that are considered top secret. The expansion of the British 5G network and the role that the Chinese communications supplier Huawei is to play in this expansion were also discussed . Information from one of these meetings was apparently leaked to the press and led to diplomatic disagreements with the US . After an investigation into the proceedings, including interviews with all parties involved, led by the Cabinet Secretary as the senior ministerial official, Williamson was informed by Prime Minister May that the leak must be his area of ​​responsibility, withdrew his confidence and issued his dismissal on May 1, 2019. The previous Minister for Development Aid , Penny Mordaunt , was appointed as his successor. Williamson denied the allegations.

Penal consequences for Williamson were initially ruled out; he retains both his seat as a MP and the seat on the Privy Council .

family

Williamson is married and has two daughters.

Web links

Commons : Gavin Williamson  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Gavin Williamson: The meteoric rise of the tarantula-owning, Remain-voting Tory who has been appointed Defense Secretary Daily Telegraph of November 2, 2017.
2. ↑ Michael Fallon 'apologized for touching journalist's knee'. BBC News, October 31, 2017, accessed November 2, 2017 . 
3. ↑ Penny Mordaunt becomes UK's first female Defense Secretary. BBC, May 1, 2019, accessed on the same day.
4. ↑ "Gavin Williamson: Sacked defense secretary to receive £ 17,000 pay-off despite Huawei leak scandal" The Independent on May 2, 2019