British Prime Minister Theresa May has promoted Gavin Williamson, her trusted chief whip, to the job of defence secretary to fill the role vacated after Sir Michael Fallon resigned on Wednesday over allegations of sexual harassment.
The 41-year-old Williamson, the MP for South Staffordshire, has been responsible for exerting discipline over the prime minister’s fractious parliamentary party since last year.
Fallon stepped down on Wednesday night, admitting that his conduct towards women in the past had “fallen short” of the standards expected of the armed forces, of which he was in charge.
Julian Smith, the MP for Skipton and Ripon, who previously served as Williamson’s deputy, has been appointed to replace him as chief whip.
The new deputy chief whip will be Esther McVey, who won George Osborne’s former seat of Tatton in June. She was a Conservative junior minister in the coalition government of 2010-2015, before losing her Wirral West seat.
Williamson was closely involved in negotiating the confidence and supply deal with the Democratic Unionist party that secured the parliamentary support May needed to govern in the aftermath of June’s general election.
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