Gavin Williamson accused of saying Theresa May’s diabetes makes her UNFIT to ...

Theresa May’s relationship with sacked Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson collapsed after No 10 was told he had been spreading claims that her health was failing, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

Mr Williamson – who was fired on Wednesday for allegedly leaking information from the National Security Council about Chinese firm Huawei – was allegedly heard saying earlier this year that her Type 1 diabetes meant she was unable to discharge her responsibilities as Prime Minister.

The claim infuriated Mrs May’s allies, who say she is in robust health despite having to inject herself with insulin at least twice a day.

Last night, Mr Williamson said he had been the victim of a ‘shabby and discredited witch-hunt’ and called for a ‘full investigation’.

Gavin Williamson was allegedly heard saying earlier this year that her Type 1 diabetes meant she was unable to discharge her responsibilities as Prime Minister

Theresa May

Gavin Williamson was allegedly heard saying earlier this year that her Type 1 diabetes meant she was unable to discharge her responsibilities as Prime Minister

Reacting to an announcement by Scotland Yard that the leak did not breach the Official Secrets Act, he told Sky News: ‘With the Metropolitan Police not willing to do a criminal investigation, it is clear that a proper, full and impartial investigation needs to be conducted on this shabby and discredited witch-hunt that has been so badly mishandled.’

As the recriminations continued, this newspaper has also been told Mr Williamson’s friends believe that one of his Ministers, Tobias Ellwood, reported him to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill over ‘unfounded’ claims of a ‘bullying’ management style and ‘briefing against him’.

This included disputing Mr Ellwood’s heroics when he fought to save the life of stabbed PC Keith Palmer during 2017’s Westminster terror attack.

Sir Mark oversaw the inquiry which concluded that Mr Williamson was responsible for the leak – which revealed details of Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s 5G network, which critics have warned poses a national security threat.

Last night, Mr Williamson said he had been the victim of a ‘shabby and discredited witch-hunt’ and called for a ‘full investigation’ (pictured: Gavin Williamson with Sir Mark Sedwill)

Last night, Mr Williamson said he had been the victim of a ‘shabby and discredited witch-hunt’ and called for a ‘full investigation’ (pictured: Gavin Williamson with Sir Mark Sedwill)

Will he do 'a Geoffrey Howe'? 

Gavin Williamson used his Instagram account to give a coded warning to Theresa May last night, appearing to question her loyalty and whether she was acting in the national interest.

The spurned Tory posted this picture, above, of Margaret Thatcher at No 10, praising her for standing up for her party and country. It came amid speculation he could be planning to give Mrs May a ‘Geoffrey Howe moment’ in the Commons. In 1990, Howe, who had been Deputy PM, gave a withering resignation speech criticising Mrs Thatcher, which triggered a leadership contest. 

Mr Ellwood infuriated Mr Williamson by making repeated criticisms of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory MPs, who he accused of holding Mrs May hostage and blocking the progress of her withdrawal agreement.

He has also indicated his support for a second referendum. Mr Ellwood, a former Green Jacket, was hailed as a hero when he tried to save the life of PC Keith Palmer – although an unfounded whispering campaign claimed his actions had actually impeded the work of the emergency services.

A source close to Mr Williamson said: ‘Tobias and Gavin always worked closely together on military affairs, and no complaint was ever made regarding bullying.’

But an ally added: ‘Gavin did grow frustrated at the amount of time Tobias spent on the airwaves making the case for a second referendum and slagging off the ERG.’

MPs were left reeling by Mrs May’s decision to sack Mr Williamson last week, despite the only publicly acknowledged evidence being an 11-minute phone conversation with the Daily Telegraph journalist who wrote the story.

One source said: ‘She would only have done that if she had been presented with incontrovertible evidence in black and white.’

In her letter to Mr Williamson on Wednesday night, the Prime Minister said that the investigation had found ‘compelling evidence’ that he was the source of the leak.

There have even been claims in Whitehall that Mr Williamson’s office in the MoD was being ‘monitored’ by the security services at the behest of the Americans, who were angered by his claim last year that the Russians posed a threat to European energy supplies, which Washington said came from classified US naval intelligence.

'Don't underestimate how vindictive I can be' 

It was a cold January day and in a scene more akin to the politics of a Tudor court, powerful mandarin Sir Mark Sedwill gave Gavin Williamson a chilling warning that he was determined to oust him.

According to the former Defence Secretary’s account, the Prime Minister’s seething enforcer stopped him in Cockpit Passage, the red-brick corridor that is the last surviving part of Henry VIII’s Whitehall Palace – and the scene of many historic executions.

‘Do not underestimate how vindictive I can be Mr Williamson,’ the usually silver- tongued official is said to have spat towards his nemesis after yet another testy meeting where they had clashed.

‘It was all very dramatic,’ Mr Williamson told friends, and further proof, he said, that there had been a long-running campaign by Sedwill for his head.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Sir Mark confronted Mr Williamson as the pair’s working relationship deteriorated.

The extraordinary moment came after Mr Williamson jettisoned a plan by Sir Mark – the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser – to hive off part of the defence budget to use on his pet cyber security projects.

The row saw two of Whitehall’s most Machiavellian characters pitted against each other.

Mr Williamson is said to delight in his image as a master of the dark political arts. He once said: ‘I don’t very much believe in the stick, but it’s amazing what can be achieved with a sharpened carrot.’

Meanwhile, Sir Mark has always been keen to play up his spooky ‘securocrat’ image.

‘This was all about spies v soldiers and in the end Mark got his revenge, just as he told him he would,’ said one observer.

Last night the Cabinet Office refused to comment on the allegation against Sir Mark, but a supporter said: ‘Don’t believe everything you hear.’ 

Mr Williamson rose quickly under Mrs May, running her successful leadership campaign in 2016 and being rewarded with the job of Chief Whip.

He became Defence Secretary the following year after the resignation of Sir Michael Fallon over the ‘pestminster’ scandal, but the relationship with No 10 started to sour after Mr Williamson lobbied for greater funding for the Armed Forces.

A senior party figure is

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