UK government gives twice-fired politician top honour
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The reading
The U.K. government has awarded one of its highest honours to a former minister who was fired twice by successive Prime Ministers. Gavin Williamson, 45, will receive a knighthood for services to public life. He will become "Sir" Gavin Williamson. The award has angered many politicians in Britain due to Mr Willamsons' somewhat checkered career. He was fired as Defence Secretary by then Prime Minister Theresa May in 2019 over a national security leak over discussions about the UK's national security and Chinese telecoms company Huawei. Ms May said she had, "lost confidence in his ability to serve". Current PM Boris Johnson fired him from being Education Secretary in September 2021 following a series of gaffes.
Knighthoods are awarded to Britons who have excelled in their field or in areas of public life. Recipients have usually spent decades as incredible leaders or winners. Williamson only became a politician in 2010. Other politicians have said he is undeserving of the honour. One said the only award he should get was "worst Education Secretary in history". Another said his record in government was "disgraceful". She said: "Williamson left children to go hungry, created two years of complete chaos over exams, and failed to get laptops out to kids struggling to learn during lockdowns." Some newspapers said the award is in return for Williamson keeping quiet about allegations surrounding Boris Johnson.
Sources:
- https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-tory-ex-education-secretary-26379946
- https://news.sky.com/story/ex-education-secretary-gavin-williamson-given-a-knighthood-12556701
- https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-awards-knighthood-minister-who-was-fired-over-security-leak-2022-03-03/
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