A Downing Street statement said: "The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood be conferred upon The Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson CBE MP."

In the Sunday Times in January, it was reported Mr Williamson would be among three Tory MPs to receive a knighthood "to keep them quiet" as part of the operation to keep Boris Johnson in Downing Street following the Partygate scandal.

Mr Williamson, who is from Scarborough, was sacked as Education Secretary in September following widespread criticism over his handling of the awarding of A-Level and GCSE grades during the Covid crisis, and the approach to school closures.

Gavin Williamson is to be knighted, it has been announced

He apologised the week before his sacking after confusing England footballer Marcus Rashford with rugby star Maro Itoje, wrongly claiming he had met the former while in fact he had spoken over Zoom to the latter man.

Mr Williamson was elected Conservative MP for South Staffordshire in May 2010, and has previously served as Chief Whip and Defence Secretary.

Gavin Williamson to receive a knighthood, Downing Street announces