Michael Fallon

Michael Crick discusses how Gavin Williamson’s rise is being viewed and where it leaves the government.  

The unexpected resignation of Michael Fallon as Defence Secretary yesterday has been followed today by the equally unexpected appointment of Gavin Williamson as his replacement. The elevation of the chief whip, who ran Mrs May’s successful Conservative Party leadership campaign but has never held ministerial office, has provoked disbelief and anger among some MPs.

Michael Fallon has defended the Conservative’s proposed “accommodation” with the Democratic Unionist Party, saying any deal would only apply to big issues rather than the party’s controversial stance on social issues. But in Northern Ireland itself there are increasing concerns about what impact any deal could have on the peace process.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon says Jeremy Corbyn is wrong to link British foreign policy to terrorism, and responds to previous comments from Boris Johnson, who once said that while the Iraq War “didn’t create the problem of murderous Islamic fundamentalists, the war has unquestionably sharpened the resentments felt by such people”.  

We interviewed Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and asked him whether it will be the working families they’re trying to win over who’ll be hit hardest by this manifesto?