Gavin Williamson: Sacked defence secretary to receive £17,000 pay-off despite Huawei leak scandal

Gavin Williamson will receive a £17,000 pay-off and keep his privileged place on the Privy Council despite the shame of his sacking, Downing Street says.

The former defence secretary is entitled to the normal severance settlement enjoyed by any cabinet minister – which is three months of his annual salary of £67,505.

Labour had led calls for Mr Williamson to be stripped of his severance pay, as well as demanding his prosecution under the Official Secrets Act, if Theresa May believed him to be guilty of the Huawei leak.

But, asked by The Independent if he would receive the standard pay-off – despite being sacked, rather than resigning – her spokesman replied: “Correct.”

He declined to say whether the prime minister was concerned that the public would resent Mr Williamson receiving the money, adding: “There are long-standing rules in place and there are no changes to those rules, which are very transparent.”

Downing Street also confirmed he would remain a privy counsellor, a body dating back to Norman times but a largely ceremonial honour for non-government ministers.

The Conservatives had already said there were no plans to remove the whip from Mr Williamson, who is expected to remain an MP as the prospect of a criminal investigation receded into non-existence.

Answering an urgent question in the Commons, David Lidington, the de-facto deputy prime minister, fought off demands for the controversy to be referred to the police.

At the same time, Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said she would not act unless there was a referral from the Cabinet Office – which will not be sent.

“The unauthorised disclosure of any information from government is serious and especially so from the National Security Council,” Mr Lidington told MPs.

But he added: “The prime minister has said she now considers that this matter has been closed and the cabinet secretary [Mark Sedwill] does not consider it necessary to refer it to the police, but we would of course cooperate fully should the police themselves consider that an investigation were necessary.”

Ms Dick said: “If the Cabinet Office were to send us a referral at any point that relates to apparent official secrets or leaks we would assess that.

“We would scope it and we would go through a very formal gateway process before working on any investigation.”

However, the Commissioner added: “That is hypothetical because we have not had any referral from the Cabinet Office.”

Opposition politicians condemned the pay-off, Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, saying: “It is staggering that Theresa May deemed Williamson’s breach of trust and duty so serious that she sacked him yet he is now to be rewarded with a massive pay off.”

And Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader said: “It is an outrage that Gavin Williamson is to be handed a payoff despite being sacked for gross misconduct. In most professions, that would never be the case.”