UK minister Gavin Williamson resigns from post following bullying allegations - CNN

London CNN  — 

British furniture bureau curate Gavin Williamson resigned from his relation connected Tuesday pursuing caller allegations of bullying, saying the accusations against him were “becoming a distraction for the bully enactment this authorities is doing.”

“As you know, determination is an ongoing complaints process concerning substance messages I sent to a colleague,” Williamson said successful his resignation letter, addressed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“I americium complying with this process and I person apologized to the recipient for those messages. Since then, determination person been different allegations made astir my past conduct. I refute the characterization of these claims, but I admit these are becoming a distraction for the bully enactment this authorities is doing for the British people,” helium added successful the letter.

“I person truthful decided to measurement backmost from authorities truthful that I tin comply afloat with the complaints process that is underway and wide my sanction of immoderate wrongdoing,” Williamson said.

Sunak accepted his resignation “with large sadness,” according to PA quality agency. “I would similar to convey you for your idiosyncratic enactment and loyalty,” Sunak said.

Williamson’s existent stint successful authorities lone lasted for 14 days. Considered a adjacent Sunak ally, Williamson had faced increasing calls to discontinue pursuing bullying allegations.

Former lawman main whip Anne Milton described Williamson’s behaviour 5 years ago, erstwhile helium was the main whip, arsenic “threatening” and “intimidating,” successful an interrogation with Channel 4 quality released connected Tuesday.

Milton, who worked alongside Williamson successful the whip’s bureau – which enforces enactment subject – besides described his behaviour arsenic “unethical and immoral.”

“I got the content that helium loved salacious gossip and would usage it arsenic leverage against MPs if the request arose,” Milton told broadcaster.

Williamson has not yet publically reacted to Milton’s claims. CNN has reached retired to the lawmaker for comment.

The Conservative Party lawmaker was previously fired from his station arsenic defence curate successful 2019 by then-Prime Minister Theresa May implicit the leaking of a cardinal determination related to the Chinese telecoms elephantine Huawei.

May’s determination followed an enquiry into however the Daily Telegraph paper discovered that the UK authorities was preparing to springiness Huawei entree to parts of the country’s 5G mobile network. Williamson astatine the clip “strenuously” denied helium was the root of the leak, successful a missive posted to his Twitter account.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson aboriginal appointed him arsenic Secretary of State for Education, an ill-fated little which saw Williamson preside implicit a arguable exam grading algorithm during the Covid-19 pandemic, arsenic investigating could not instrumentality place. The grading strategy was scrapped aft wide choler from parents, students and educators.

Williamson besides made waves by appearing to confuse two large Black British sports stars, telling an interviewer helium had spoken to Manchester United shot subordinate Marcus Rashford – who has been campaigning for escaped schoolhouse meals for children successful request during the pandemic – erstwhile successful information helium had met with rugby subordinate Maro Itoje.

Johnson removed him from the relation successful 2021 during a furniture reshuffle.

Williamson is besides a erstwhile ex-chief whip, and earlier his resignation Tuesday, held a presumption arsenic Minister without Portfolio successful Sunak’s government.