The improbable return of Sir Gavin Williamson
If there was a bouncebackability award in politics, Sir Gavin Williamson would win it hands down.
The South Staffordshire MP has returned to the top table after landing a cabinet position in Rishi Sunak's new government.
It marks an unlikely return for Sir Gavin, who has seen his political obituary written many times in the seven years since he first ventured into the spotlight as David Cameron's parliamentary private secretary (PPS).
Of the 649 current MPs, he's one of the most heavily criticised on social media, with only the likes of Liz Truss, Jeremy Corbyn and Matt Hancock getting more stick from the Twitterati.
But like Tyson Fury, every time he's knocked down he somehow finds a way to get back up off the mat and come out swinging.
Political comebacks have become his speciality.
Having had a front row seat to the fall of Mr Cameron in the wake of the EU referendum in 2016, he got behind Theresa May's leadership ambitions, partly to stop Boris Johnson and also because he thought she would win.
After running the parliamentary stage of her leadership campaign he was appointed chief whip when she entered Number 10 that July.
Those close to him say it was in this position where he truly excelled, with Sir Gavin credited for maintaining party discipline in a number of key votes at a time when the party was on the brink of tearing itself apart over Brexit.
In November 2017 he was promoted to the prestigious government position of defence secretary, a role he would hold until his sacking in May 2019 for allegedly leaking sensitive information regarding the involvement of Chinese firm Huawei in the UK's 5G network.
At the time he described the inquiry into the leak as "a witch hunt" that had taken place "in a kangaroo court with a summary execution".
The dismissal appeared to have halted his rise through the ranks, and more than one newspaper editorial gleefully opined he was destined for a life on the backbenches.
But his time in the political wilderness lasted less than three months.
Mrs May's resignation just days later gave him another opening. Sir Gavin reprised his role as parliamentary campaign leader, this time for his old foe Mr Johnson, who he helped propel into power.
His reward was another top government job, as education secretary. At the time it looked like a good time to be at the Department for Education, with the PM keen to plough a fortune into the sector to address issues such as poor infrastructure and staff recruitment.
Then the pandemic hit and the wheels came off, with Sir Gavin blamed for government blunders including the exams fiasco and a U-turn on the reopening of schools.
He was sacked in September last year, and after somewhat controversially getting a knighthood in March, he seemed destined for a lengthy spell on the backbenches.
That was until opportunity once again knocked in the form of another Tory leadership contest following Mr Johnson's resignation.
Although he never publicly turned against the former PM, Sir Gavin was reportedly a key figure in the campaign team of Mr Sunak, who is blamed by many Johnson loyalists for forcing their man out.
Now, after Mr Sunak's rise to the highest political office, Sir Gavin once again has a seat around the cabinet table.
His role as minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office means he is not in charge of any specific policy area.
However, a Whitehall source told the Star he is likely to have a "significant influence" on what actually makes it onto Mr Sunak's desk.
"Gavin has not being given a specific area to be in charge of, and I think that's because his record the previous times that happened has not been great," the source said.
"But he will have significant influence on what makes it to No 10. We expect him to be in a lot of meetings about policy or proposals and advising senior ministers on what the parliamentary party think about it.
"If he doesn't like it, it probably wont ever see the light of day."
