Sir Gavin Williamson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Minister of State without Portfolio | |
| In office 25 October 2022 – 8 November 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Nigel Adams |
| Succeeded by | Esther McVey |
| Secretary of State for Education | |
| In office 24 July 2019 – 15 September 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson |
| Preceded by | Damian Hinds |
| Succeeded by | Nadhim Zahawi |
| Secretary of State for Defence | |
| In office 2 November 2017 – 1 May 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Sir Michael Fallon |
| Succeeded by | Penny Mordaunt |
| Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 14 July 2016 – 2 November 2017 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Mark Harper |
| Succeeded by | Julian Smith |
| Member of Parliament for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge South Staffordshire (2010–2024) | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Patrick Cormack |
| Majority | 5,466 (12.8%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gavin Alexander Williamson 25 June 1976 Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Joanne Eland (m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Raincliffe School Scarborough Sixth Form College |
| Alma mater | University of Bradford |
| Website | gavinwilliamson |
Sir Gavin Alexander Williamson CBE (born 25 June 1976) is a British politician who served in various Cabinet positions under Prime Ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak between 2016 and 2022, lastly as Minister of State without Portfolio from 25 October to 8 November 2022 under Sunak. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge, formerly South Staffordshire, since 2010. Williamson previously served as Government Chief Whip from 2016 to 2017 and Secretary of State for Defence from 2017 to 2019 under May, and as Secretary of State for Education from 2019 to 2021 under Johnson.
Williamson was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and was educated at Raincliffe School, Scarborough Sixth Form College and the University of Bradford. He was chair of a Conservative student body from 1997 to 1998. He served on the North Yorkshire County Council from 2001 to 2005. In the 2005 general election, he stood to become MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, without success. Williamson was elected as MP for South Staffordshire at the 2010 general election. He served in David Cameron's governments as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Transport, aiding Patrick McLoughlin, prior to being appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister in October 2013.
Following Cameron's resignation, Williamson supported Theresa May's bid to become Conservative leader; May appointed Williamson as Chief Whip in her first government in July 2016. He later served as Secretary of State for Defence from November 2017 to May 2019, when he was dismissed following a leak from the National Security Council; Williamson denied leaking the information about Huawei's potential involvement in the British 5G network. After supporting Boris Johnson's campaign to succeed May as Conservative leader, Williamson returned to the cabinet as Secretary of State for Education in July 2019. He served in the role during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, including times when schools were closed to most children, and was criticised for the 2020 school exam grading controversy. In September 2021, he was dismissed as Education Secretary when Johnson reshuffled his cabinet. He was subsequently nominated by Johnson for a knighthood, which he obtained in March 2022.
Williamson supported Rishi Sunak in his two attempts to become Conservative leader; following Sunak's election in October 2022, he appointed Williamson as Minister of State without Portfolio. In November 2022 Williamson resigned, stating he wanted to clear his name "of any wrongdoing" in relation to allegations, which he "strenuously denied", of him having bullied former Chief Whip Wendy Morton and of bullying behaviour previously during his own tenure as Chief Whip and as Defence Secretary.