Education secretary Gillian Keegan was left squirming as Kay Burley quizzed her on Rishi Sunak’s decision to appoint Gavin Williamson to his cabinet.
The Cabinet Office minister resigned after just two weeks in the job over bullying allegations.
It has emerged that the prime minister was made aware of a complaint against Williamson by former chief whip Wendy Morton before he gave him the job.
On Sky News this morning, Burley asked Keegan: “Why did he give him a job when he was being investigated for bullying?”
As the minister struggled to answer, the presenter asked: “Was it right to give Gavin Williamson a job when he was being investigated?”
Keegan replied: “Of course he wanted to bring in all the different talents, he wanted to bring in a mix of experience and new faces.
I think at that point there had been a disagreement between two chief whips - two former chief whips - there was a conversation about a disagreement, that’s all. There wasn’t an official investigation.”
Burley went on: “Should [Sunak] have sacked him?”
Keegan said: “I think he resigned very quickly. This all started over the weekend.”
Pressing the minister for a better answer, Burley said: “Should Rishi Sunak have sacked him before he resigned?”
Keegan replied: “Gavin did the right thing by resigning - it’s had the same impact. He’s now going to be on the backbenches fighting the allegations.”
Williamson’s resignation - the 80th by a government minister this year - has raised fresh questions about Sunak’s judgement.
In a letter to Williamson last night, he said he had acceped his resignation “with great sadness”.
Meanwhile, the former minister said he would not be accepting the severance payment of just under £17,000 he was entitled to after quitting his job.
Williamson tweeted: “To dispel any speculation, I want to make it clear that I will not be taking any severance. This is taxpayers’ money and it should go instead toward the Government‘s priorities like reducing the NHS’s waiting lists.”