Gavin Williamson 'least strategic person' in Westminster, Shadow Schools Min. fumes

6 July 2021, 20:51 | Updated: 6 July 2021, 20:53

Labour MP: Williamson is 'least strategic person' in Westminster

By Seán Hickey

The Shadow Schools Minister calls on the Education Secretary to start thinking proactively about keeping schools safe.

Shadow Schools Minister Peter Kyle was speaking to Iain Dale after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson today announced an overhaul of Covid-19 regulations in schools.

Mr Kyle was scathing in his criticism of the Education Secretary before Iain asked "what was the alternative to what the Government announced today?"

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"The alternative was we did it in the right way at the right time" replied, suggesting that the latest measures are the latest in a long line of slow reactions from Mr Williamson.

"What we should have have done, is do this at the right time, rather than always waiting until we're in a crisis and in the midst of a crisis and the Government has no alternative but to do something really quite drastic." He insisted.

Iain took exception to some of Mr Kyle's points, noting that "if a school was going to introduce better ventilation, they would have done it by now."

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"Sadly some schools don't have the resources – government hasn't released the resources," the Shadow Schools Minister argued.

He added that there is no excuse for Mr Williamson to act so slowly on schools: "We knew this problem was building, that action should have been taken and this isn't hindsight. We were calling for this as a party – I was calling for it personally, including on LBC to your listeners."

He reminded Iain how horrific pandemic measures have been so far for schools. "That can't happen for a third year running."

"Gavin Williamson is the least strategic person I have ever known in my life in politics," he fumed.