The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, has branded those raising questions about her handling of the crumbling concrete crisis in schools “sensationalists”.
At a behind-closed-doors drinks reception co-hosted by the “Conservatives in communications” network on Wednesday night, Keegan continued to brush off criticism about the government changing its advice to schools days before the autumn term began.
After being forced to apologise for lamenting that no one had praised her for “doing a ***** good job”, she joked she might need fresh media training to avoid further hot mic moments – but added to laughter: “I don’t want to learn how to stop swearing.”
Keegan described the move that precipitated the partial or full closure of approximately 100 schools because of concerns about outdated material – known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) – as the “worst decision, honestly, that anyone will ever have to make”.
Although Keegan referenced three recent ceiling collapses triggering her decision, she appeared to take a swipe at how the issue had previously been bounced around Whitehall.
Keegan said: “In government, people quite often write down what other people should do, and it gives them the problem. Without the cash, funnily enough.”
Her comments came after Jonathan Slater, formerly the most senior civil servant at the Department for Education (DfE), accused Rishi Sunak of cutting the budget for school repairs.
Slater said that despite officials warning there was a “critical risk to life” because of the Raac issue, with 300 to 400 school rebuilds needed a year in England, Sunak as chancellor only gave funding for 100, which was then halved to 50.
