Sunak under pressure over failing concrete in schools

A school buildings crisis was threatening to engulf Downing Street this week, with Rishi Sunak accused of slashing the budget for repairs while his education secretary was caught claiming colleagues had done nothing to stop it

- Peter Walker , Sally Weale

As pupils began returning to schools around England on Monday – or in some cases took lessons from home or in temporary classrooms – the prime minister faced claims he had failed to grasp the gravity of the situation as chancellor. The issue caused dismay and chaos as millions of pupils started the academic year. Former Department for Education (DfE) officials, meanwhile, said staff in the department had been shocked when a request to fund work on 300 to 400 schools at risk from crumbling concrete panels was pared down, to 100 and then 50, by Sunak’s Treasury in 2020 and 2021.

As No 10 pushed back against the claims, Gillian Keegan , the education secretary, was forced to apologise after she was caught complaining to a TV reporter on Monday that others with responsibility for school repairs had “sat on their arse” rather than act.

The unguarded comments were made when cameras continued rolling after an interview , with Keegan asking: “Does anyone ever say: ‘You know what, you’ve done a fucking good job, because everyone else has sat on their arse and done nothing.’ ” She later apologised for her “off -the cuff remark” and “ choice of language” after receiving a dressing -down from Downing Street for behaviour deemed “not acceptable” .