Williamson accused of "threatening" behaviour by former deputy chief whip Anne Milton, the former deputy chief whip Anne Milton who worked closely with Sir Gavin Williamson when he was chief whip, has claimed he used “leverage” and threats to control MPs and instil a culture of fear in Westminster. Milton told Channel 4 News of an alleged incident, when she says that the whips’ office gave some financial assistance to an MP: “I do remember him asking me to give the MP in question the cheque. And he waved it under my nose and said: ‘Make sure when you give him this cheque, he knows I now own him.’” Milton said: “I don’t think it was a joke. It was the seriousness with which he said it. And I think that the bottom line is, if instances accord with your overall experience with somebody, then you believe them.” She added that she gave the MP the cheque but didn’t pass on Williamson’s message. Milton alleges Williamson behaved in an “unethical and immoral” and “shocking” manner during his time as chief whip between July 2016 and November 2017. She also accused Williamson of using MPs’ mental and physical health problems as “leverage”. Milton describes Williamson’s behaviour while chief whip as “threatening” and “intimidating”. She added: “It’s an image he cultivates. I think he feels that he’s Francis Urquhart from House of Cards.” Wednesday’s Guardian front page. Gavin Williamson said he would not be taking severance pay after resigning from the government. “To dispel any speculation, I want to make it clear that I will not be taking any severance,” he said. “This is taxpayers’ money and it should go instead toward the government’s priorities like reducing the NHS’s waiting lists.” Rishi Sunak knew his premiership would be bound for a rocky start, but the embarrassing defenestration of one of his close cabinet allies after just two weeks threatens to reopen bitter divisions in the Conservative party. Despite initial attempts to resist sacking Gavin Williamson after a slew of bullying allegations, the prime minister was forced on Tuesday to accept his resignation – not because of any admission of wrongdoing, but because it was becoming a “distraction”. The official explanation for Williamson’s departure allows him to leave with slightly better grace than being sacked from cabinet for the third time, and lets the prime minister keep his own hands clean. Rayner brands Sunak a "weak prime minister" after Williamson resigns Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “This is a damning reflection of a weak Prime Minister. “Rishi Sunak appointed Gavin Williamson with full knowledge of serious allegations about his conduct and repeatedly expressed confidence in him. “This is yet another example of Rishi Sunak’s poor judgment and weak leadership. It is clear that he is trapped by the grubby backroom deals he made to dodge a vote, and is incapable of putting country before party. “As families struggle during a cost-of-living crisis made in Downing Street, yet another Tory government has descended into chaos.” Accepting Sir Gavin Williamson’s resignation “with great sadness”, prime minister Rishi Sunak said: “I would like to thank you for your personal support and loyalty.” The SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster Kirsten Oswald said: “Rishi Sunak promised integrity, professionalism and accountability at the heart of his Government - all of which has been trashed within weeks of taking office. “The fact that Gavin Williamson was allowed to resign after a litany of scandals, rather than be sacked, speaks volumes of how toxic and broken this Tory Government is. “As the Westminster chaos continues to unfurl, there can be no doubt that independence is the only way to escape this dysfunctional system for good.” The SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster Kirsten Oswald said: “Rishi Sunak promised integrity, professionalism and accountability at the heart of his Government - all of which has been trashed within weeks of taking office. “The fact that Gavin Williamson was allowed to resign after a litany of scandals, rather than be sacked, speaks volumes of how toxic and broken this Tory Government is. “As the Westminster chaos continues to unfurl, there can be no doubt that independence is the only way to escape this dysfunctional system for good.” Lib Dem MP Daisy Cooper has said in response to Gavin Williamson’s resignation, “This should be the third and final time Gavin Williamson is forced out of the Cabinet.” Williamson’s letter, released on his Twitter account, says he refutes “the characterisation of these claims” regarding the further allegations of bullying that have been made. But Williamson added in his resignation letter “I recognise these are becoming a distraction for the good work this government is doing”. The former Cabinet Office minister said he had decided to “step back from government” while the complaints process into his conduct is carried out, vowing to “clear my name of any wrongdoing”. Gavin Williamson resigns from government Gavin Williamson has announced he is resigning. Boris Johnson has nominated his fiercest cheerleaders for peerages, with two of his former aides set to become the youngest life peers in history. The former prime minister has selected more than a dozen of his closest allies to head to the Lords, as part of a resignations list longer than David Cameron’s and Theresa May’s combined. Here are some of the key figures. Formal complaint made against Williamson by former senior civil servant A former senior civil servant who claimed Sir Gavin Williamson told them to “slit your throat” has made a formal complaint against him. The allegations were first reported in the Guardian on Monday and included claims that Williamson, who was the defence secretary at the time, told the official on another occasion to “jump out of the window”. The Ministry of Defence official claimed his behaviour amounted to a sustained campaign of bullying. The official, who later left government, said Williamson “deliberately demeaned and intimidated” them on a regular basis. The former civil servant told Sky News his “words and actions had an extreme impact on my mental health”. Williamson, who ran the department between November 2017 until May 2019, said: “I strongly reject this allegation and have enjoyed good working relationships with the many brilliant officials I have worked with across government. “No specific allegations have ever been brought to my attention.” From the Guardian’s Aubrey Allegretti. The next phase of a high-stakes inquiry into whether Boris Johnson misled parliament over Partygate faces being delayed as a result of government failures to provide crucial evidence to MPs, sources have told the Guardian. Despite a range of documents – including the former prime minister’s diaries, event email invites, No 10 entry logs, briefing papers and WhatsApp messages – being requested more than three months ago, some have not been handed over yet. The former Ministry of Defence official who claims they were bullied by Gavin Williamson has now complained to parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, putting more pressure on Rishi Sunak over his decision to reappoint his ally, the Guardian can reveal, write Pippa Crerar and Rowena Mason. In a statement, the complainant said they had an “incredibly difficult period” working for Williamson at the MoD and that the alleged bullying had taken “an extreme impact” on their mental health. In a separate development, two further sources who spoke to the Guardian claimed that during his time as chief whip Williamson had been heard joking or boasting about the effect his tactics had on the mental health of those he worked with, with one saying it had “made people uncomfortable”. Williamson, whose political future is now hanging in the balance, is now facing three separate inquiries into his behaviour, two with the ICGS and the other an internal Conservative party investigation. Two relate to the same incident involving the former chief whip Wendy Morton.