James O'Brien is in disbelief at Gavin Williamson being given a knighthood
4 March 2022, 14:17
James O'Brien cannot believe Gavin Williamson has been given a knighthood
James O'Brien cannot believe "arguably the most ridiculous politician to have popped up in the post-Brexit era" has been given a knighthood.
James O'Brien said: "You can say many things about Gavin Williamson. The thing you can't say about him is that well he deserves a knighthood apparently."
It was announced this week that the ex-Education Secretary has been awarded a knighthood, after being nominated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Downing Street has confirmed that the Queen has conferred the honour on the Conservative MP.
Number 10 said: "The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood be conferred upon The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP."
Mr Williamson has twice been sacked from the Government.
The MP for South Staffordshire faced backlash over his handling of GCSE and A-Level grades as Education Secretary during the Covid-19 pandemic and was sacked from the Cabinet last year.
In 2019, Theresa May sacked him as Defence Secretary, saying she had seen “compelling” evidence that he leaked information from a meeting of the National Security Council. Mr Williamson denied leaking the information from the meeting.
Why has Gavin Williamson been knighted after being fired twice?
Mr Williamson also backed Boris Johnson's campaign to succeed Theresa May as Conservative Party leader.
James said that one of the first knighthoods he remembers noticing was one awarded to Edmund Hillary "for climbing Mount Everest".
The LBC presenter drew contrast between that knighthood and the one awarded to Gavin Williamson in "Brexit Britain".
James went on to list a series of failures by Mr Williamson in his eyes, before claiming he is "arguably the most ridiculous politician to have popped up in the post-Brexit era".
Referring to him being awarded a knighthood, James later added: "I can't begin to construct a feasible or a plausibly positive reason for this man being elevated to this position".
He went on to say that "an absolute cavalcade of failure typifies his every intervention in public life".
