Former education Secretary Gavin Williamson will be awarded a knighthood by the Queen, despite twice being sacked by the government.

Downing Street confirmed Her Majesty has approved a knighthood for Williamson who has served as Member of Parliament for South Staffordshire since 2010.

A statement from No 10 read: “The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood be conferred upon The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP.”

Soon-to-be Sir Gavin Williamson led the government’s response to disrupted education as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

He received criticism for his handling of exam chaos throughout Covid and was replaced by Nadhim Zahawi in September 2021.

He was sacked by then Prime Minister Theresa May as Defence Secretary in May 2019.

He was then sacked by Boris Johnson as part of a major cabinet reshuffle amid intense criticism for his handling of the education brief throughout the pandemic.