Gavin Williamson

Early life

Williamson is originally from Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Both of his parents were Labour voters. Williamson was educated at East Ayton Primary School, at Raincliffe School, and the Scarborough Sixth Form College, where he studied 'Government and Politics' and 'Economics' as A-levels. He obtained a BSc in Social Sciences from the University of Bradford.

Career

Williamson was the penultimate national chairman of Conservative Students, before it was abolished in 1998 and the separate youth wings of the party were amalgamated as Conservative Future. He was elected a county councillor in 2001 for the Seamer division but later stood down in 2005.

Before becoming an MP, Williamson worked in the Staffordshire pottery industry and for an architectural design firm. Williamson has been Deputy Chairman of Staffordshire Area Conservatives, Chairman of Stoke-on-Trent Conservative Association, and Vice-Chairman of Derbyshire Dales Conservative Association. Williamson has been deputy chairman of Staffordshire Area Conservatives, Chairman of Stoke-on-Trent Conservative Association and vice-chairman of Derbyshire Dales Conservative Association.

In the 2005 General Election, he unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative Party candidate in Blackpool North and Fleetwood. After 2005, Williamson then moved to Derbyshire.

Member of Parliament

In the 2010 General Election, Williamson was successfully elected in South Staffordshire and was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Hugo Swire, Minister of State for Northern Ireland, in October 2011. In September 2012, Williamson was made PPS to the Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport, and in 2013 became PPS to the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

In Parliament, Williamson was a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee and was Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Motor Neuron Disease.

Following the Conservative Party's election victory at the 2015 General Election, Williamson was sworn of the Privy Council on 14 May 2015.

Chief Whip

Following David Cameron's resignation, Williamson "privately vowed" to stop the front-runner Boris Johnson from becoming Conservative Party leader. He assessed Theresa May to be the likeliest candidate to beat Johnson, offered his help to her, and was invited to be her parliamentary campaign manager. Following May's ascension, Williamson was appointed Chief Whip.

Following the Con–DUP pact after the 2017 General Election, Gavin Williamson visited Belfast to discuss arrangements with the DUP.

Personal life

He is married to Joanne, a former primary school teacher. The couple have two daughters, Annabel and Grace. He was a Charitable Trustee at a Citizen's Advice Bureau, and a school governor.

Views

Williamson supported the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union during the 2016 European Union referendum.

Controversies

In October 2013, Gavin Williamson was reprimanded by the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, for being noisy during Prime Minister's Questions. Bercow told Williamson that his job was to "nod his head in the appropriate places and to fetch and carry notes".

He has also received criticism from parliamentary authorities over bringing his pet tarantula Cronus to the Houses of Parliament.

Honours

In the 2016 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours, Williamson was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "for political and public service".

In popular culture

In the BBC2 docudrama Theresa v Boris: How May Became PM, Williamson was played by Daniel Casey.