The importance of Gavin Williamson

When Boris Johnson tried to call a general election in September last year, everyone around him assumed that Jeremy Corbyn would agree. When this didn’t happen, Johnson found himself out of ideas. Dominic Cummings’s plan was to keep calling for an election, keep holding votes and hope the resolve among opposition parties would break. The Prime Minister decided to get a second opinion. He wanted someone who knew parliament and its dark arts, and could advise him how to fight and win its battles. He summoned Gavin Williamson.

On being presented with the plan, the former chief whip gave a long pause. ‘It’s a preposterous plan,’ he finally replied. ‘And that’s exactly why you should do it.’ It worked. Johnson eventually got his election and won his majority of 80. In the process, the alliance between No. 10 and Williamson was strengthened. His advice had been called on before, to guide Johnson’s leadership bid through parliament.