Gavin Williamson: Who is the secretary of state for education?

Despite the exam results fiasco or that time he was sacked for possibly leaking national secrets, Gavin Williamson still has his job. Sean O'Grady looks at why

A man of many blunders or a clear threat to Johnson? (Getty)

Even his friends have to agree that Gavin Williamson is not one of the Johnson government’s stand-out successes as a minister. Even in an unusually weak field, featuring inadequates such as Robert Jenrick, Matt Hancock and Priti Patel, as secretary of state for education, Mr Williamson has been a notable underperformer in the cabinet’s remedial set. “Must try harder” you might say, though there’s no evidence he’s especially lazy. Having secured only token funding from the Treasury to secure more post-covid “catch-up” money for schools, the government’s independent education adviser, Kevan Collins, quit in disgust, and teachers and parents are left feeling disappointed and disaffected.

On top of the exams fiasco last summer, and the dithering over opening or closing schools at the turn of the year, our Gavin’s not had a great time of it. He is even dangerously unpopular with the Tory grassroots, routinely finishing a distant last in the monthly Conservative Home ranking of cabinet ministers (with Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Dominic Raab the class favourites). He is prone to gaffes, has a reedy voice that is difficult to listen to, let alone be inspired by, oozes insincerity (even if he is actually sincere, sometimes), was previously sacked for leaking national security secrets (though he denies it), has no made little mark in office, has no discernible political philosophy, and will serve any leader who suits his purposes. Ideal, you may well say, for high office in today’s Conservative party, but, in all seriousness, the question is still worth asking.

How does he survive?