In the popular consciousness, the photo-sharing site Instagram is sometimes seen as the place to flaunt your glamorous lifestyle. Not if you are Gavin Williamson.
The new defence secretary has a decidedly more prosaic approach to the app, often featuring animals, vehicles, constituency shots and a way with captions that veers decidedly towards the voice of Alan Partridge, the fictional broadcaster created by Steve Coogan.
“Very pleased with my new garden incinerator only £14.99 from #aldi, cracking good value,” reads the caption of one photo, showing said incinerator. “Question is could we make use of one in the whips office?”
“So instead of a politician talking bull here is a politician meeting one,” says another showing the MP meeting a farmer and his Hereford bull.
Before Westminster
Born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, he had a comprehensive education before going on to gain a degree in social science at the University of Bradford. Williamson then worked for a while in the pottery industry and for an architectural design firm before being elected MP for South Staffordshire in 2010 at the age of 33.
The rapid rise
Just a few years after his election, Williamson became David Cameron’s parliamentary aide, acting as his eyes and ears among MPs. But when Cameron stepped down, Williamson quickly threw his lot in with Theresa May as the most effective stop-Boris candidate and was adopted as her campaign manager. Having impressed with his organisational skills, he was elevated to chief whip, despite not having previously served as a minister.
Defence secretary
After becoming pivotal in the deal with the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), Williamson earned May's respect for managing difficult parliamentary votes with the slimmest of DUP-backed majorities. His move into the cabinet after Sir Michael Fallon resigned over allegations of sexual harassment appears to position him as a potential Conservative leader, but the backlash among MPs was significant.
Spider man
He is best known in Westminster for keeping a tarantula called Cronus in a glass box on his desk, seemingly to intimidate MPs who have stepped out of line. The creature is named after the Greek god who came to power by castrating his own father before eating his own children to ensure they would not oust him.
In his own words
“I don’t very much believe in the stick, but it’s amazing what can be achieved with a sharpened carrot.”
Perhaps the most Partridge-esque moment comes with a photo of Williamson’s 1981 Land Rover Defender: “In many ways when I look at my #landrover I think it epitomises everything that is so fantastic about #greatbritain a go anywhere do anything attitude. Let’s never forget how amazing this country is, never letting anything hold us back.”
As some pointed out on Twitter as news of the Instagram feed spread, Land Rover has been owned since 2008 by India’s Tata Motors. Another Twitter user helpfully pointed out that the DVLA website showed the vehicle’s tax had run out.
Cronos, his pet tarantula, makes several appearances in photos, including one on the chief whip’s red box. “Just finished packing everything I need for #conservativepartyconference,” goes the caption. “A Chief Whip always needs his #tarantula, you never know what types of conversations you may need to have.”
A taster of New Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson's Instagram account #reshuffle #exterminate #obey https://t.co/hnSExtZVa8 pic.twitter.com/rSQ3v12zeT
— Lynn Davidson (@ByLynnDavidson) November 2, 2017
