Tag Archives: Gavin Williamson

In Ñspel: The Guardian view on Rishi Sunak’s cabinet: rewards for failure

From left, Dominic Raab, Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman and Jeremy Hunt on the front bench at PMQs. Photograph: UK Parliament/Andy Bailey/PA
Fṛm left, Doṃnic Rāb, Riśi Sūnac, Suela Braṿmn n Jeṛmi Hunt on ɖ frunt bnć at PMQz. Foṭgraf: YC Parḷmnt/Andi Beili/PA

Ɖ Gardịn vy on Riśi Sūnac’s cabiṇt: rwordz fr fełr

(Transcription of a Guardian editorial of 16 Nov. 2022)

A loñ bac̦aṭlog v scandl n incompitns in guvnmnt mcs it imposbl fr ɖ Tōriz t trn ovr a ny līf

Wnzde 16 Nvmbr 2022

Sins ɖ start v ɖs yir, ɖr hv bn 147 guvnmnt reẓgneśnz or sacñz. Ɖt dz’nt mīn 147 indivijlz hv ćenjd jobz. In mni cesz it z ɖ sem ppl sîc̣lñ in n ǎt v ofis. Suela Braṿmn holdz ɖ record, wɖ jst six dez ilapsñ btwn hr biyñ fîrd fṛm ɖ Hom Ofis bî Liz Trus n rīhîrd bî Riśi Sūnac.

Doṃnic Rāb wêtd a litl longr fr rīhbiḷteśn, dsmist az justișecṛtri on 6 Sptmbr, bac in post bî 25 Octobr. Hǎ loñ h cntinyz in ofis mt dpnd on ɖ ǎtcm v an indipndnt invstgeśn intu clemz v bŭliyñ stāf. Mr Rāb dnîz ol roñduwñ.

Ɖ justișecṛtri rout t ɖ prîm̦inistr, rfŕrñ himslf fr invstgeśn aftr tū forml cmplents wr md abt hiz bhevyr. It z nt yt clir hu wl d ɖ invstgetñ in ɖ absns v an advîzr on miṇstirịl eʈics. Ɖ post hz bn vecnt sins Lord Gît rzînd rlịr ɖs yir. Hiz prīdisesr, Sr Alix Aḷn, std dǎn aftr Boris Jonsn tc no ax́n agnst Priti Ptél, ɖen homsecṛtri, dspt an inqîri sjstñ ɖt hr bŭliyñ hd brīćt ɖ miṇstirịl cod.

Mr Sūnac hz promist t fil ɖ post, bt hz nt yt got rnd t it. H hz olso plejd t guvn wɖ “integṛti, pṛfeśṇlizm n acǎntbiḷti at evri levl”. Ɖt forḿla wz mnt t signl a brec fṛm ɖ Jonsn ira, bt ɖ prîm̦inistr z fîndñ it hard t trn ovr a ny līf wɖ so mni fmiłr fesz in hiz guvnmnt.

Onli last wīc, Gavin Wiłmsn, ministr wɖt portfolio, wz forst t rzîn ovr akześnz v bŭliyñ colīgz. Mr Wiłmsn hd prīvịsli bn dsmist fṛm Mr Jonsn’z cabiṇt, ẃr h cnspiksli feld az edyceśnsecṛtri jrñ ɖ pandemic. Bfr ɖt, h wz sact bî T’rīza Me fr līcñ inḟmeśn fṛm a naśnl-s’kṛti caunslmītñ.

Ɖ probbiḷti ɖt eni ministr hîrd bî Mr Sūnac hz prīvịsli bn fîrd bî wn v hiz prīdisesrz z rezd nt onli bî ɖ leñʈ v Cnsrṿtiv incumbnsi bt bî ɖ volym v bad guvnmnt páct intu ɖoz 12 yirz. Ɖ Jonsn rên wz ispeṣ́li dns wɖ scandl.

Mr Rāb’z dparćr fṛm ɖ Foṛn Ofis in Sptmbr last yir wz wîdli sìn az a rbyc fr hiz hanḍlñ v ɖ crîsis in Afgaṇstan a munʈ rlịr, ẃn ɖ Taliban sizd Cbŭl. Ɖ ɖen foṛn secṛtri hd nt cut śort a hoḷde t tec ćarj v an ivakeśn ɖt wz lêtr dscrîbd az “ceotic n arbitrri” in a parḷmntri-cmiti rport. MPz olso notd “a funḍmntl lac v sirịsnis, grip or līdrśp” at ɖ Foṛn Ofis.

Bt fełr rerli gz unriwordd fr loñ in ɖ cuṛnt Cnsrṿtiv parti. T compnset Mr Rāb fr hiz dmośn, Mr Jonsn gev him ɖ tîtl v depyti prîm̦inistr. Ɖt rǒl hz olso bn rstord bî Mr Sūnac, alñ wɖ ɖ justisportfolio n ɖ oṗtyṇti t rvîv ɖ pôntlis, posć̣rñ bil v rîts ɖt Mz Trus ślvd jrñ hr brīf teńr in Dǎnñ Strīt.

Ɖus ɖ sîcl gz on, wɖ cabiṇtjobz pasñ fṛm wn per v unsef handz t ɖ nxt, n bac agn. Mr Sūnac’s ambiśn fr a freś start wz far-fećt, gvn ɖ leñʈ v tîm hiz parti hz bn in guvnmnt. Hiz poḷsi v îɖr ignorñ or rwordñ past miṇstirịl fełr mcs it lc dǎnrît dluźnl.

Instroduction to Ñspel

"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

In Ñspel: The Observer view on the toxic workplace that is Westminster

Multiple allegations of bullying have surfaced in relation to the former minister Gavin Williamson. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Multipl aḷgeśnz v bŭliyñ hv srfist in rleśn t ɖ formr ministr Gavin Wiłmsn. Foṭgraf: Dan Citwŭd/Geti Iṃjz

Ɖ Obzrvr vy on ɖ toxic wrcples ɖt z Wsminstr

(Transcription of a Guardian editorial of 13 Nov. 2022)

Bŭliyñ z rîf in parḷmnt n MPz śd b ɖ last ppl t cndon it

Súnde 13 Nvmbr 2022

‘A  starc rmîndr v hǎ bad ʈñz yst t b” z hǎ Lora Cox dscrîbd parḷmnt in hr indipndnt rvy v bŭliyñ n haṛsmnt in Wsminstr. Ś faund evidns v a toxic wrcñculćr, wɖ sm MPz bhevñ in apōlñ wez t jūńr stāf.

Ɖt wz in 2018. Sins ɖen, an indipndnt inqîri hz faund ɖt Jon Brco, hu ẃl Comnz spīcr hd oṿol rsponsbiḷti fr parḷmntri culćr, wz a “sirịl bŭli” n a layr. It cncludd ɖt hiz conduct twdz stāf wz so apōlñ h wd hv bn sspndd fṛm ɖ Comnz hd h stl bn an MP. Alix Aḷn, ɖ formr indipndnt advîzr on miṇstirịl standdz, in 2020 faund ɖt ɖ formr homsecṛtri Priti Ptél hd bŭlid sivl srvnts. Aḷn lêtr rzînd ẃn ɖ ɖen prîm̦inistr, Boris Jonsn, dfndd hr n asrtd ś hd nt brocn ɖ miṇstirịl cod.

Ńmṛs aḷgeśnz v bŭliyñ hv srfist ɖs munʈ in rleśn t Gavin Wiłmsn: fṛm ɖ formr ćīf ẃip – t hūm h snt xplītiv-lêdn meṣjz – fṛm a fīmel parḷmntri colīg n fṛm a sivl srvnt hu hz akzd him, amñ uɖr ʈñz, v telñ him t “slit hiz ʈrot”. Ɖs wīcend, it hz imrjd ɖt sīńr sivl srvnts at ɖ Miṇstri v Justis wr ofrd ɖ oṗtyṇti t swić rǒlz t avôd wrcñ wɖ Doṃnic Rāb aftr Riśi Sūnac ri’pôntd him az justișecṛtri. N evidns hz bn sbmitd t yt anɖr parḷmntri bŭliyñ inqîri – ɖ ʈrd in jst fîv yirz – ɖt hîlîts ɖt in a srve v 600 stāf, a qortr sd ɖe hd xpirịnst or witnist bŭliyñ.

Mć hz bn ritn abt ẃ parḷmnt apirz so pmisiv t toxic bhevyr bî a mnoṛti v MPz. Ɖ Comnz hz bn lîcnd t 650 litl fīfdmz, ć wɖ a smōl grūp v stāf ansṛbl t a MP, ẃć mcs stāf rluctnt t cōl ǎt n rport bad bhevyr. Ɖ goṣpi culćr mīnz ɖe fir biyñ tard az “dificlt” f ɖe cmplen, mcñ it hard fr ɖm t gt jobz in ɖ fyćr. Ɖ culćr v lêt-nît wrcñ n soṣ́lîzñ cn wìcn ɖ bǎnḍriz btwn pṛfeśnl n prsnl rleśnśps.

MPz hv traid t adres ɖs bî istabliśñ an indipndnt cmplents-n-grīvns proses fr stāf hu hv xpirịnst bŭliyñ n haṛsmnt. Bt ɖr z a criticl factr ɖt hz nt ćenjd a bit in ɖ yirz sins Cox’z rvy. Culćr z set bî ɖoz wɖ pǎr at ɖ top v a wrcples. N ɖr r far tù mni ministrz n sīńr MPz hu mc xksz fr un’xptbl bhevyr bî ɖer p’liticl alîz.

Jonsn apôntd Cris Pinćr ćīf ẃip dspt biyñ md awer v forml cmplents ɖt alejd h sx̣́li haṛst tū men ẃl h wz a ministr at ɖ Foṛn Ofis. Sīńr Cnsrṿtiv MPz argyd ɖt ɖr wr “baḷnsñ rqîrmnts” ɖt mitgetd Ptél’z bŭliyñ bhevyr. Crispin Blunt MP dfndd formr parḷmnterịn Imran Ahmad Cān aftr h wz cnvictd v ćîld sx́l asōlt. Sūnac hd rportidli bn md awer ɖt ɖr wr sirịs aḷgeśnz abt Wiłmsn’z conduct.

It z nt jst a Cnsrṿtiv probḷm: ɖ sīńr Lebr MP Marġrit Becit in 2018 sd in rleśn t Brco’z bŭliyñ: “Ɖ consttyśnl fyćr v ɖs cuntri… trumps bad bhevyr.”

So loñ az sm parḷmnterịnz rmen hapi t trn ɖer fesz awe fṛm evidns v bŭliyñ n haṛsmnt, fr rīznz v p’liticl xpīdịns, nʈñ wl ćenj. Ɖ Hǎs v Comnz n Ẃîthōl wl cntiny t harbr bhevyr ɖt śd nvr b toḷretd in ɖ modn wrcples, wɖ teribl consiqnsz fr ɖ ppl hu wrc ɖr.

Instroduction to Ñspel

"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

Fṛm Đ Gardịn │ If Boris Johnson cared about schools, he’d already have sacked Gavin Williamson

Gavin Williamson. ‘Resources and goodwill have been squandered with a thoroughness that would make more sense as deliberate villainy.’ Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
Gavin Wiłmsn. ‘Rzorsz n gdwil hv bn sqondrd wɖ a ʈuṛnis ɖt wd mc mor sns az dlibṛt viḷni.’ Foṭgraf: Justin Talis/AFP/Geti Iṃjz

F Boris Jonsn cerd abt scūlz, h’d olrdi hv sact Gavin Wiłmsn

(Transcription of a Guardian article of 5 January 2021)

B it ɖ xamzfiasco or ɖ scūlz U-trnz, ɖ onli dǎt z ẃɖr ɖ damij h inflicts z bî neglijns or saḅtāj

Rafel Bẹr, 5 Jańri 2021

Nt mć z constnt abt Britn’z hanḍlñ v ɖ pandemic, bt wn rūl aplîz ʈrt: ɖr z no s’nario so bad ɖt it canot b md wrs wɖ Gavin Wiłmsn in ćarj v scūlz.

Clozñ clasrūmz z dmoṛlîzñ fr peṛnts, tīćrz n ćildṛn. Ɖ prospect v cansld xamz fr a secnd yir cmpǎndz ɖ stres. Munʈs v dsruptd edyceśn wl wūnd a jeṇreśn. Purr faṃliz wl ber ɖ dīpist scarz. Ɖr z no qc poḷsis’lūśn, bt it z poṣbl t imajin ɖt reṃdiz xist. Guvnmnt canot fix evrʈñ, bt it mst b ceṗbl v smʈñ.

It z nt ɖ tasc itslf ɖt indysz dsper, bt ɖ îdntti v ɖ man huz job it z t cmplit it. Wiłmsn’z record alǎz onli xpcteśn v fełr. Ɖ uņoun elimnt z ẃɖr h wl inflict ɖ damij bî neglijns or mor asrtiv saḅtāj.

Wl hiz nxt advnćr in mal’dmiṇstreśn lc lîc last sumr’z xamgredz fiasco, ẃn ɖ ejceśn dpartmnt hd munʈs t priper fr a pridictbl probḷm n wz stl ambśt? Or wl it b smʈñ mor proactivli mlevlnt, az ẃn h ʈretnd līgl ax́n agnst caunslz ɖt wontd t śut scūlz bfr Crisṃs, ɖus forsñ ɖm t ste opn fr a fy gṛćuiṭs dez v vîṛl pṛlif̣reśn?

An edyceśnsecṛtri pzesñ īvn flimzi scrūplz mt, in rīsnt wīcs, hv got t grips wɖ practicl ćaḷnjz: sorsñ laptops fr rmot lrnñ, iqipñ venyz t sefli tīć ćildṛn hu canot ste at hom. Instd Ñgliś scūlz wr śut wɖ les ɖn a de’z notis, aftr a Crisṃs hoḷde jrñ ẃć hedtīćrz hd bn tld ɖ prîoṛti wz arenjñ ɖ Covid tsts ɖt wd alǎ ɖm t ste opn. Ɖe dd opn, bt fr jst wn de: a boṇs rǎnd v infx́nz bfr ɖ U-trn.

Rzorsz n gdwil hv bn sqondrd wɖ a ʈuṛnis ɖt wd mc mor sns az dlibṛt viḷni – a plot t indys stafrūm stres – xpt Wiłmsn z nt ceṗbl v impḷmentñ a cnspiṛsi ɖt ifctiv.

Administṛtiv inadiqsi z agṛvetd bî ɖ absns v eni paśn fr ɖ portfolio. Ɖr z no evidns ɖt ɖ secṛtri v stet hz eni nośn v ẃt edyceśn z īvn fr, or hǎ it fits intu sm wîdr naśnl stori. Hiz onli noun xṗtīz in ɖ fīld z ɖ fact v hvñ wns bn t scūl himslf. N it z unclir hǎ mć atnśn h wz peyñ ɖen.

H z dspîzd bî tīćrz. H hz ełnetd īvn ɖ modṛt wñ v ɖ tredyńnz. It z nvr īzi fr Tori ministrz t win trust in ɖ stafrūm, bt Wiłmsn hz flfild ɖ caric̦ćr v îdịlojicl pṛvoc̣tŕ wɖ spîtfl reliś, castñ tīćrz az slacrz n saḅtŕz.

In a rīsnt srve ẃr frunt-lîn staf wr asct hūm ɖe wd trust wɖ ɖ dsiźn on ẃɖr it wz sef t g intu ɖ clasrūm, Wiłmsn cem a distnt last – mîlz bhnd sạntific advîzrz, locl oʈoṛtiz, Public Hlʈ Ñgḷnd, hedtīćrz n tredyńnz. Rspondnts wr alaud t tíc multipl boxz, n stl ɖ edyceśnsecṛtri got jst 1% v ɖ vot.

Ɖ rbarḅtiv sîd v hiz caṛctr z ntorịs in guvnmnt. It z nt unyźl fr advîzrz n MPz t ẃispr uncînd ʈñz t jrṇlists abt ministrz, bt ɖ acridti v ẃt z pord on Wiłmsn bî hiz ǒn parti z ynīc n mostli unprinṭbl. Ɖ cîndr acǎnts dwel onli on hiz abject inepttyd, bt most includ ćaptrz on dīvịsnis, dypliṣti n vindictivnis. It z sd ɖt h stîlz himslf az a Macịvelịn oṗretr wɖ an ostnteśs iṃtyṛti ɖt unḍmainz eni plot h mt unḍtec – a homij t Hǎs v Cardz in cruwl, hyṃrlis slapstic.

Ol v ẃć rezz ɖ qsćn v ẃ h z in ɖ cabiṇt. Wiłmsn’z incompitns wz nt a sīcrit. H feld at dfns bfr h got hiz handz on edyceśn. Hiz memṛbl contṛbyśnz in ɖ s’kṛti arīna wr ɖ plêgrǎnd xorteśn ɖt Ruśa śd “g awe n śut p”, n hiz dsmisl bî T’rīza Me aftr ɖ līcñ v sīcrit inf̣meśn. H dnaid ɖt wn, bt stīm wz stl rîzñ fṛm ɖ dsgres ẃn, jst ʈri munʈs lêtr, Jonsn tapt Wiłmsn fr ɖ edyceśnjob.

Ɖ onli cṛdnślz ɖt matrd t ɖ ny prim̦inistr wr loylti n redinis t dfnd ɖ most xtrim Brexit. Wiłmsn hd bn a rmenr fr Devid Camṛn, n a dfndr v Me’z dūmd dīl ẃn ś wz hiz beṇfactr. Ẃn Me rzînd, Wiłmsn adoptd a mor hardlîn pziśn instntli n wɖt qām, lîc a tru mrsnri. It dd nt tec Jonsn loñ t si ɖ ytiḷti v a man az lacñ in prínsipl az himslf. Ẃt mt hapn t scūlz wz nvr a cnsiḍreśn.

Yt, bî nǎ, Jonsn mst si ɖt rpettiv fełr in ɖt dpartmnt daṃjz hiz ǒn repyteśn. Ɖ pandemic hz jeṇretd cǎntlis penfl dlemaz fr Dǎnñ Strīt, bt ɖ ćôs btwn cīpñ ɖ cuṛnt edyceśnsecṛtri n ptñ olmst enwn els in ćarj z at ɖ īzịr end v ɖ spectṛm. Ɖ arğmnt ɖt a crîsis nīdz cnsistnsi v prṣnél dz nt aplî ẃn ɖ prsn in qsćn z a wōcñ enjin spywñ ǎt mor crîsis.

A popylr vy in Wsminstr last yir, ẃn Wiłmsn wz bérli flexñ ɖ fl xtnt v hiz yslisnis, wz ɖt Jonsn cept him on so az t sacṛfîs him at a lêtr det. Ɖ rvîld ministr mt sǒc p mor public oprobrịm bfr biyñ dscardd. Bt ɖ rag z nǎ sać̣retd n ranc. Anɖr ʈiyri z ɖt Wiłmsn hz sm sinistr līṿrij detñ bac t hiz tîm az ćīf ẃip: ɖt h nz ẃr bodiz r berid, hvñ srvd az x’kśnr n unḍtecr.

Phps Jonsn avôdz sacñ ppl fr incompitns ʈru fir v sigṇlñ ɖt compitns matrz, n ɖt s’xes in poḷtics śd b meźrd bî ceṗbl poḷsi dlivri. Ɖt z nt ɖ prim̦inistr’z feṿrit tst.

Wiłmsn wl g, ivnć̣li, wns ɖ stenć v hvñ him arnd xidz Jonsn’z rluctns t dīl wɖ fǎl mesz. It z hard t pridict ẃn ɖt pônt wl cm. Ɖ prim̦inistr’z nǒz z acustmd t ɖ smel v bad guvnmnt, bt h cn si uɖr ppl rcôl.

Sacñ ɖ edyceśnsecṛtri wd nt ōṭmaticli mc ʈñz betr. Bt it wd at līst iliṃnet wn cmpelñ rīzn t cīp xpctñ ɖ wrst.

Rafel Bẹr z a Gardịn coḷmnist

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Instroduction to Ñspel