'Cock it up. Know where the skeletons are. Resign. Arise Sir ……..'
Former education secretary Gavin Williamson has been ruthlessly mocked online after he received a knighthood.
Downing Street announced yesterday afternoon that Williamson had been given a knighthood. The MP for South Staffordshire was sacked by Boris Johnson during his September 2021 cabinet reshuffle.
Williamson had been heavily criticised for his role in the A-level fiasco that saw students from poorer and disadvantaged backgrounds disproportionately awarded lower grades as the result of an algorithm. He was also slammed for a series of U-turns, including over free school meal policy when he was shamed by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.
The gaffe-prone Tory was also sacked by Theresa May as Defence Secretary following a leak of sensitive information from the National Security Council.
Downing Street said: “The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood be conferred upon The Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson CBE MP.”
The decision triggered much fury as well as disbelief. Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson described it as “an insult to every child, parent and teacher who struggled through Covid against the odds” while Labour MP Wes Streeting said: “Rewarded for failure, shameless.”
Former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville tweeted in response: “Get appointed . Cock it up. Know where the skeletons are. Resign. Arise Sir ……..”
Others called for the abolition of the honours system following Williamson’s knighthood, while another added: “That knighthood for Gavin Williamson is an insult to every working class kid marked down two A-level grades by his class-based algorithm.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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