Inside Politics: Caught in a web

Sir Gavin Williamson facing fresh bullying claims as Sunak accused of shunning appeals for the UK to contribute towards reparations for natural disasters caused by climate change, writes Matt Mathers

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Hello there, I’m Matt Mathers and welcome to The Independent’s Inside Politics newsletter.

Sir Gavin Williamson kept a tarantula on his desk while Conservative Party chief whip. Is he now getting caught up in a web of his own bad behaviour? The minister with no portfolio is this morning facing fresh claims of bullying.

Inside the bubble

Our chief politics commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for:

Rishi Sunak will chair a cabinet meeting this morning, at which he will no doubt repeat the line for the day, which is that eight million households claiming means-tested benefits will start to receive £324, the second instalment of the Cost of Living Payment from today.

The Boundary Commission for England publishes its latest map of proposed constituencies to come into effect next year.

The Commons sits from 11.30am with Foreign Office questions followed by an opposition debate in which Labour will hold a binding vote to try to force the prime minister to publish advice on Suella Braverman’s reappointment as home secretary.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has an online event at 1pm on student loans and the cost of living crisis.

Daily briefing

Gavin a laugh?

Rishi Sunak’s pledges to govern with the highest levels of integrity and professionalism are coming under the spotlight again this morning thanks to a fresh report about underfire cabinet minister Sir Gavin Williamson, who is accused of telling an official to “slit your throat”. According to a bombshell report, Sir Gavin, who was knighted by Boris Johnson earlier this year, made the remarks in front of other colleagues and told the civil servant to “jump out of the window” on a separate occasion.

The person accused Sir Gavin of bullying them, which he denies, although The Guardian said it understands that the Staffordshire South MP does not deny using the words. It comes after Sir Gavin sent expletive-laden texts to the former Conservative Party chief whip, Wendy Morton, in a row over tickets to the late Queen’s funeral. He also faces claims that he brought up a colleague’s personal life when trying to strong-arm her into voting with the government while he himself served as chief whip under Theresa May. He said he regretted sending the texts and brought up the colleague’s personal life in a pastoral capacity.

Although Sir Gavin said he regretted sending the texts to Morton, there are reports this morning saying she has still not received an apology from him, sparking anger among her friends and other MPs, who are concerned about the apparent lack of action being taken against the minister, who has a reputation for the dark arts. The prime minister said yesterday Sir Gavin had his full support and that he would wait until the end of a disciplinary process before taking action.

It is not entirely clear, however, what that process consists of or how long it might take. Anybody who has followed Sir Gavin’s political career may not be surprised by these remarks, shocking as they are. For those who haven’t - you can get up to speed here. You get the feeling that there are only going to be more of these stories coming out in the days ahead and that the PM will have to act. Sir Gavin, it seems, is starting to become a distraction.

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Cop fail

Sunak had his first big outing on the global stage at the Cop27 summit in Egypt yesterday, where he had a positive meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron. The UK and France are said to be close on securing a deal on the migrant and asylum seeker crisis.

The PM has been criticised for shunning appeals for the UK to contribute towards reparations for the natural disasters caused by hundreds of years of industrial pollution. Thirty-year-old demands for a fund to pay for the permanent loss and damage caused by extreme weather were discussed for the first time on the floor of the Cop27 climate change conference in Egypt, with calls for the UK and other rich nations to join Belgium, Denmark and Scotland in committing cash.

Sunak, however, made no reference to the topic in his five-minute speech in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, instead recommitting to a 2020 pledge of £11.6bn for climate funding over five years and tripling to £1.5bn the UK’s contribution towards measures to boost resilience against future disasters.

In other news, The Conservative Party is facing renewed accusations it is failing to tackle Islamophobia – both in society and within its own ranks. Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds has written to her opposite number Nadhim Zahawi during Islamophobia Awareness Month, demanding action. comes as recent figures show anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise in the UK, and an investigation into alleged Islamophobia by a Tory MP continues.

On the record

Williamson denies bullying civil servant.

“I strongly reject this allegation and have enjoyed good working relationships with the many brilliant officials I have worked with across government. No specific allegations have ever been brought to my attention.”

From the Twitterati

Guardian politics editor Pipa Crerar on the positive meeting between Sunak and French president Emmanuel Macron.

“Friends then, rather than foes.”

Essential reading

• Yasmin Qureshi, The Independent: Conservatives have broken their promises to British muslims
• Marie Le Conte, The Independent: Can Keir Starmer’s Labour Party be a broad church?
• Polly Toynbee, The Guardian: Nurses will be striking for their pay, your health – and the future of the NHS
• Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Is it time for Gavin Williamson to ‘go away and shut up’?

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