Star comment: Our man to face crucial challenge

As Chief Whip, his job has been to work quietly behind the scenes to ensure the wishes of his boss, Prime Minister Theresa May, are carried out by his colleagues in the Parliamentary Conservative Party.

But that was before last week’s General Election and the hung parliament.

Suddenly his ability to keep his colleagues in line is crucial, not just to the Government but to the country as a whole, with just days remaining until the start of Brexit negotiations.

In the full glare of the world’s media he has jetted to Northern Ireland to start brokering a deal with the notoriously difficult Democratic Unionist Party, to ensure their support for the Conservative minority government.

The DUP clearly want a so-called ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement; a far looser deal than the formal coalition Mrs May would prefer. The DUP realise the strength of their position and will want to leverage it for all it is worth.

And that raises the prospect of destabilising the delicate political balance in Northern Ireland, between the DUP and their Republican rivals Sinn Fein.

We have had nearly two decades of relative peace since the Good Friday Agreement. But Stormont collapsed in acrimony earlier this year over the RHI energy scheme scandal that could end up costing £400 million, with DUP leader Arlene Foster removed from her role as First Minister.

Will the DUP try to use their new influence with the Conservative government to strengthen their position in Northern Ireland? How will Sinn Fein react? And what about the more extreme Republicans, currently held in check by their political leaders?

All this at a time when the UK needs to project political unity and strength across the negotiating tables of Brussels as we seek the best possible deal to leave the European Union.

Gavin Williamson has the most difficult job of any Conservative Chief Whip in recent history. Some of us remember the chaos of Harold Wilson’s hung parliament of 1974. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time, and The political instability helped weaken a British economy already in trouble at the time.

Mr Williamson and his colleagues face an even more challenging few months. Not only do they have to hold a wounded government together, they have to avoid creating political instability in Northern Ireland and help pilot this country through the unprecedented process of Brexit.

We have seen the divisions within our nation inflamed over the last three years. Now we are in need of some healing balm. We must hope Mr Williamson is the man who can help secure our future.

We need to ignore the voices seeking to aggravate the current situation. Instead, we must come together to present a strong and united front. Anything else invites chaos.