Williamson is Britain's new defence secretary as Michael Fallon Resigns

Gavin Williamson was appointed as Britain's new defence secretary after his predecessor Michael Fallon resigned over a sexual harassment scandal.

Williamson has the difficult task of cutting the United Kingdom’s defence expenditure, keeping forces levels at their optimum while at the same time increasing Britain’s defence exports which have been hit by falling procurement in its traditional market, the Middle East.

"The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Right Honourable Gavin Williamson as Secretary of State for Defence," Downing Street said in a statement.

Fallon announced his resignation late Wednesday after having apologized earlier in the week for touching a journalist’s knee in 2002. “I accept that in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the armed forces that I have the honour to represent,” Fallon said.

Fallon’s resignation follows a galling scandal involving a UK Navy’s nuclear armed submarine whose captain and senior crew hired prostitutes and took drugs while on a port visit in Florida, US.