Sunday, 24 Nov 2024

Gavin Williamson leads rogues' gallery of controversial cabinet comebacks

Sir Gavin Williamson has made an unlikely political comeback after being sacked by Boris Johnson over the exams fiasco during the pandemic.

He is one of several familiar faces who have been kicked out of government before to be brought back into the fold by Rishi Sunak.

The Staffordshire MP was also ousted by Theresa May after he was accused of leaking sensitive documents relating to Huawei and 5G.

Mr Williamson, who denied that allegation, has been a support of Rishi Sunak behind the scenes on two leadership campaigns and has been rewarded with a government job.

He will serve as a minister without portfolio, meaning he will work across government.

The controversial MP has garnered a reputation as an influential political operative in Westminster but will be remembered by voters as the man who oversaw the Covid-19 exams fiasco.

Pupils were left distressed and unsure of whether they’d get the grades they needed after turmoil over how the system would be managed through the pandemic.

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Mr Williamson is one of several ex-ministers to be thrown a lifeline by the new prime minister and brought back into government.

Michael Gove, Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman are among other high-profile appointments who have fallen foul of previous PMs.

Mr Gove was given back the levelling up job, which Boris Johnson removed him from for ‘disloyalty’ in the dying days of his government.

He was denied a spot in Theresa May’s first government for the same reason and declared his frontline politics over less than two months ago.

Ms Braverman returns as home secretary returns to the Home Office just a week after being forced to resign over a security breach.

Labour accused Mr Sunak of putting ‘party before country’ by reappointing the home secretary so soon after she admitted a breach of the ministerial code.

There’s also a second return to veteran’s affairs portfolio for Johnny Mercer, who was sacked from the job by Ms Truss – and who resigned from the same post in 2021.

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