Keir Starmer has branded Gavin Williamson a “cartoon bully with a pet spider” as he challenged Rishi Sunak over his decision to promote him to the Cabinet.
Williamson was forced to resign last night in the wake of fresh allegations about his conduct, including that he once told a Ministry of Defence official to “slit your throat”.
He played a behind the scenes role in Sunak’s bid to become party leader and prime minister.
Sunak has insisted that he did not know about the “specific” allegations against Williamson despite his reputation in Westminster.
But Starmer suggested that it was Williamson’s “bullying behaviour” that persuaded Sunak to give him a job.
At a testy exchange of prime minister’s questions, the Labour leader said: “The member for South Staffordshire [Williamson] spent years courting the idea he can intimidate others, blurring the lines to normalise bullying behaviour.
“It’s precisely why the prime minister gave him a job. The truth is simple: he is a pathetic bully but he would never get away with it if people like the prime minister didn’t hand him power.
“So does he regret his decision to make him a government minister?”
Sunak replied: “I obviously regret appointing someone who has had to resign in these circumstances but I think what the British people would like to know is that when situations like this arise that they will be dealt with properly.
“And that’s why it is absolutely right that he resigned and it’s why it is absolutely right that there is an investigation to look into these matters properly.
“I said my government will be characterised by integrity, professionalism, and accountability and it will.”
Starmer told Sunak: “If he can’t even stand up to a cartoon bully with a pet spider, if he’s too scared to face the public in an election, what chance is the cost of running the country?
“Everyone in the country knows someone in the country like the member for South Staffordshire, a sad middle manager getting off on intimidating those beneath him.”
Williamson served as chief whip during Theresa May’s time in Downing Street, when he famously kept a pet tarantula in his office.
He came under pressure this week step down from his cabinet office role following reports in The Guardian that he told a ministry of defence official to “slit your throat”.
On a separate occasion, he was also said to have told civil servants to “jump out the window”.
Williamson has said he refutes the characterisation of the claims, but in his resignation letter to Sunak he conceded that the accusations were “becoming a distraction for the good work this government is doing”.
Allegations against Williamson began to pour in after the Sunday Times published texts he had sent to the chief whip under Liz Truss, Wendy Morton.
Williamson accused Morton of using the death of the Queen Elizabeth to “punish” senior MPs who did not support her by excluding them from the funeral.
The exchange of messages concluded with him saying: “Well let’s see how many more times you f*** us all over. There is a price for everything.”
The Tory party and parliament’s bullying watchdog are now looking into Morton’s allegations.