Gavin Williamson hit by damning fresh ‘distasteful’ allegation

Sir Gavin Williamson has been accused of issuing a threat to an MP in financial trouble. Former deputy chief whip Anne Milton, who used to work with Sir Gavin when he was chief whip, claimed the MP used “salacious gossip” as “leverage against MPs”.  She said there were a “few” incidents, where Sir Gavin would leverage “people’s sexual preferences” or other sensitive issues against them. Sir Gavin Williamson has been accused of issuing a threat to an MP in financial trouble (Image: Getty/Channel 4)The former deputy chief whip said: “I got the impression that he loved salacious gossip and would use it as leverage against MPs if the need arose.””He loved all that. He would come into the office and say: ‘Guess who enjoys, you know, some form of sex or another’.”I found it very distasteful apart from anything.”Speaking to Channel 4 News, Ms Milton added: “On one occasion, we had an MP who’d got a few financial problems and some financial help was given.”It wasn’t a great amount, but 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 that I now own him.'”I’m sure if you ask Gavin Williamson about this, he’ll say it was a joke. I don’t think it was a joke.”It was the seriousness with which he said it. And I think the bottom line is, if instances accord with your overall experience of somebody, then you believe them.”She said he behaved in an “unethical and immoral” way as chief whip, describing his behaviour as “threatening” and “intimdating”.The former deputy chief whip continued: “I think he feels that he’s Francis Urquhart from House Of Cards”.Ms Milton, who lost her seat at the last general election, questioned Rishi Sunak’s decision to give Sir Gavin a ministerial job, saying: ‘I think (at) best it was probably a bit naive. I don’t know that there are many people that would hang out the bunting to see Gavin Williamson back in government.’She also claimed that Sir Gavin had an expletive-filled rant about civil servants in 2016 in response to a female official asking why a minister had to change travel plans for a vote.Ms Milton claimed he wrote in an email: “Always tell them to f*** off and if they have the bollocks to come and see me. F****** jumped up civil servants.”The latest bombshell comes as Downing Street said it is probing a “serious” allegation that Sir Gavin told a senior civil servant to “slit your throat”.Sir Gavin is now facing three claims of bullying after it was also revealed that he sent expletive-laden text messages to a female colleague.