Gavin Williamson ordered to apologise over bullying texts to Wendy Morton

The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) has told former cabinet minister Gavin Williamson to apologise after a parliamentary inquiry found he had bullied a colleague in text messages. 

Sir Gavin quit as a minister last year after sending foul texts to former Tory chief whip Wendy Morton. 

In the texts, he accused Morton of excluding some MPs from the Queen’s funeral in September last year.

Sir Gavin sent the messages in the lead-up to the funeral and Morton lodged a complaint with Parliament in November. 

In a report, published Monday, an independent panel commissioned by Parliament found Sir Gavin committed a breach of the bullying and harassment policy. 

The report concluded that Sir Gavin’s conduct was an abuse of power, finding that it had gone beyond vigorous complaint or political disagreement to a threat to lever his power and authority as a former chief whip to undermine Morton personally. 

He is now required to make an apology in the House of Commons and undergo training. 

Gavin Williamson has accepted this decision.