Gavin Williamson told to apologise to MPs for bullying former chief whip Wendy Morton
Sir Gavin Williamson should apologise to MPs for bullying a former chief whip after he was not allocated tickets to the late Queen’s funeral, Parliament’s watchdog has said.
The South Staffordshire MP was forced to quit as a Cabinet Office minister just days into Rishi Sunak’s premiership last year over a series of expletive-laden messages to Wendy Morton.
The texts amounted to “offensive and intimidating behaviour”, Westminster’s Independent Expert Panel (IEP) said, as it concluded that Sir Gavin’s conduct was “an abuse of power, finding that it had gone beyond vigorous complaint or political disagreement to a threat to lever his power and authority as a former chief whip to undermine Ms Morton personally”.
The IEP said it had “considered carefully” whether he should face suspension from the Commons but had instead decided a “full and unreserved apology” was required.
Sir Gavin has accepted the IEP’s ruling that he should make a personal statement in the House of Commons and undergo “appropriate behaviour training” to increase his awareness of the impact of bullying on others, the panel said.
Texts reveal a furious row between Sir Gavin and Ms Morton, who is the Tory MP for Aldridge-Brownhills.
The IEP’s report said Sir Gavin sent Ms Morton the messages after he did not receive an invitation to the funeral, which he attributed to his having not supported then-prime minister Liz Truss in the recent leadership election.
