Gavin Williamson “swearing on his DCs’ life”

[Loopytiles]

Sacked defence secretary says he didn’t leak from the National Security council, and reportedly “swore on his DCs’ life”.

I’m generally cynical and am no fan of Mr Williamson, but if he said this tend to believe him. It’s a rarely used phrase and not one I imagine parents would use if lying.

Am I being naive? Suppose that unless you’re superstitious, nothing bad will happen to your DC if you say it about a lie.

I think there should be a criminal investigation.

His letter is appalling. He has actually smeared his whole department. And said she is blaming them all, she's not. She's blamed him and him alone, and he's tried to widen it to everyone. It's shameful.

I would never use it but it doesn’t mean anything, he could easily be convinced it’s just superstition.

It does sound childish and unprofessional

That letter is bizarre - the proof is that it was him who directly called the journalist, not a member of his staff? Weird.

Agree, he's pretty much saying she's accusing his military advisors and staff and he's defending them, and she's clearly not saying that at all, she is saying it was him and only him.

It's really shitty as he is trying to make it look like it's a wider accusation, when it couldn't be clearer it's not.

Anyone prepared to employ this phrase in support of their own veracity is definitely not to be trusted.

Just as an aside, larkdescending, how untruthful did Jonathan Aitken appear when he made the "trusty sword of truth" speech? 90 per cent of us must have been laughing out loud at it. It was an absolutely transparent display of entitled arrogance, even for a Tory, it was shocking.

long didn't it come on the heels of Neil Hamilton's brown envelopes?

agree, to me it is usually a sign of guilt to swear on someone’s life. It is meaningless but sounds serious, used (imho) only by those who are desperate to be believed.

I've actually had someone ask "on XYZ's life?" (Not a DC but another family member) because they didn't fucking believe me. I was telling the truth. I'll admit I have sworn on someone's life when I was desperate to be believed also, but that was because of being in a relationship with someone who would go through my phone and everything due to paranoia when I was being loyal, I didn't know what I could do to make them believe me because how do you prove you aren't cheating other than erm, not cheating!? He had no proof. I was desperate to put it rest so swore on someone's life who is very important to me. Still didn't believe me. That relationship ended

Usually only said on Jeremy Kyle

Alunwynsknee, don't fully recall but those were great days for politicaklcandal

For political scandal. Mr Brown Envelope Hamilton now a big noise in UKIP I hear. I wonder if he and the delightful Mrs Hamilton are still great friends with the muslim Al Fayeds? Possibly not.

As PP have mentioned, the ‘sword of truth’ sprang to my mind.

And of course we have a by-election to look forward to because another MP not only lied to newspapers but actually perjured herself in court.

MPs are people with big egos, and people with big egos often believe their own publicity!

You think that phrase really shows innocence?

Oh dear.

You need a sabbatical from AIBU over to Relationships

I’m sure plenty of us could tell you otherwise. I certainly can.

On the one hand, I hate the Tories and it sickens me that this situation even arose. It is truly depressing to realise the moral vacuum of those that run the country. No one comes out looking good from this. On the other hand it's better than eastenders in its heyday. You literally could not make this shit up. It would be impossible to suspend disbelief.

long Hamilton's a bloody AM in Wales. Tried to get the rules changed so he could claim expenses for a home in England rather than live in Wales.

Oh Alun Wyn, I guess your name tells me you're sharing your country with him, my apologies. Surely he's not Welsh?

After John Gummer and his child and Jonathan Aitken and his daughter I don’t think a Minister swearing on their children’s lives carries any value.

Whether he leaked or not, the way he has handled this makes it very difficult to understand how he managed to get so far in politics. There were lots of ways he could have spun it and he’s failed to salvage any dignity and ended up looking like a petulant little shit.

Wiki tells me he was born in Wales
Thanks for the commiserations though!

Can we look forward to GW making an appearance on HIGNFY, like Neil and Christine Hamilton years ago?

Someone I know as said this phrase often then been proven to be lying. I’d never say it. Sounds pathetic.

@viques I went out with someone at uni who was very active in a political party, eventually becoming an MP. He did indeed have a very big ego and supreme self confidence. Ironically he struggled a bit under the pressure after being given a junior role and is now on the backbenches. If someone as entitled as him struggled, I hate to think what the ones who make it are like. GW's demeanour does remind me a bit of my ex.

He made promises to his wife when they got married and has broken those.

He sounds like a bit of a twat, but I'm glad the whole hoo haa has come out and made the government look even more ridiculous.

I bet a lot of people who voted for them to "take back control" from France and Germany weren't expecting them to offer control of government communication systems to China instead.