Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson denies telling PM to sack Sir Michael Fallon
NEW Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday dismissed allegations he told the PM to sack predecessor Sir Michael Fallon.
Former chief whip Williamson got a shock promotion after Fallon resigned on November 1 over dodgy past behaviour with women.
Some critics claimed the new Defence Secretary had forced the PM’s hand to give him the job, which he denied.
Speaking at a major summit of NATO defence ministers at Brussels, he said: “The Prime Minister makes her own decisions on actually who is serving in her Cabinet, and they are only the Prime Minister’s decisions.
“She makes her own decisions and she always does make her own decisions.”
Williamson spent his first day at Brussels meeting a host of international big hitters in defence – including his US counterpart James Mattis and the NATO General Secretary.
He announced fresh commitments to European security – including sending Typhoon war jets to Romania next year to defend against Russian incursions.
He said: “In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, the UK has significantly stepped up its commitment to Europe and today I can confirm a further package of support, showing how we remain at the forefront on European security.
“We are standing by our allies across air; deploying Typhoons to Southern Air Policing in Romania, land; increasing our support to the Kosovo peacekeeping operation, and sea; with HMS Ocean returning to the NATO Standing Maritime Group.”
Following a successful tour last summer, the fast jets will be redeployed to the country, working with Romanian allies to police the Black Sea skies.
He also announced a battalion of 600 soldiers will be placed at high readiness to restore peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina if any trouble arises.
That is on top of troops already based in Kosovo, supporting peace in the country.
His arrival in Brussels came as a senior US general warned against deeper cuts to Our Boys and Girls.
Lt Gen Ben Hodges, commander of the US Army in Europe, said Britain’s position as a key ally and a leading member of NATO would be at risk if the Armed Forces “got any smaller”.
The Army, Royal Navy and RAF have been told to make cuts, as the MoD attempts to make £20bn of efficiency savings.
Lt Gen Hodges told the BBC if the UK, “can’t maintain and sustain the level of commitments it’s fulfilling right now, then I think it risks kind of going into a different sort of category”.
He also expressed fears about potential cuts to the Royal Marines.
He said some of the best British officers he had served alongside had been Royal Marines - naming the current vice chief of the defence staff, Gordon Messenger, as an example.
Adding: “I’d hate to see the institution that produces men like that degraded.”
