In the 2006 Liberal Democrat leadership election Williams was the agent of Chris Huhne. Following the election, newly elected leader Menzies Campbell moved Williams to the further and higher education portfolio, shadowing minister Bill Rammell. After the reorganisation of government departments by new prime minister Gordon Brown in July 2007, Campbell reshuffled his team and Williams became the party's spokesperson on schools. Following the election of Nick Clegg as leader, whom Williams supported against Chris Huhne, Williams became the party's spokesperson for innovation, universities and skills. In 2008, Williams wrote a policy proposal that would allow top-up fees as part of his role as spokesperson for universities, but the proposal was rejected by the party's Federal Policy Committee. He later said that he had led several attempts to remove or moderate the party's policy to abolish tuition fees.