Summary
Here’s a roundup of the key developments:
Keir Starmer has completed what is likely to be a final shadow cabinet reshuffle before a general election, keeping his most senior lineup the same but making lots of other promotions and demotions. Starmer’s long-awaited shadow cabinet reshuffle proved more widespread than some had predicted. Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor’s verdict says it shows Keir Starmer is ruthless.
Gillian Keegan has apologised after being caught swearing on camera while expressing frustration about the crumbling concrete crisis in schools, claiming that “everyone else has sat on their arse” while she tried to fix the problem. In a seemingly unguarded moment after a TV interview, the education secretary was filmed lamenting that nobody had praised her for doing a “fucking good job”.
Downing Street has insisted that “hundreds, not thousands” of schools are likely to be affected by crumbling concrete panels, as the focus shifted to Rishi Sunak’s role in the crisis when he was chancellor. As Sunak struggled to get a grip on an issue, which has caused dismay and chaos as millions of pupils in English schools start the new academic year, the prime minister insisted ministers had acted “as swiftly as possible” once new information emerged about the risks in schools built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).
In his TV clip this morning Rishi Sunak dismissed suggestions that he did not fund the school repair programme properly when he was chancellor. “If you look at what we have been doing over the previous decade, that’s completely in line with what we have always done,” he said. But the Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank has published a briefing note today saying that capital spending on schools in England over the past decade has been low.
The Welsh education minister, Jeremy Miles, has hit out at the UK government’s handling of the Raac school building safety crisis. He said a Welsh government official attended a working group on Raac established by the UK government’s Cabinet Office on 24 August. No new evidence about Raac risks or its management were raised at that meeting.
Sir Gavin Williamson will have to apologise to the Commons and undergo behavioural training after having been found to have bullied his Conservative colleague Wendy Morton in a series of text messages in 2022. The former cabinet minister was found to have abused his power when he sent Morton the messages in September 2022 complaining about not getting a seat at the queen’s funeral. The messages included Williamson telling Morton, who was then chief whip: “Well let’s see how many more times you fuck us all over. There is a price for everything.”
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Gavin Williamson apologises 'fully and unreservedly' for bullying former Tory chief whip Wendy Morton
Gavin Williamson has apologised for bullying former Tory chief whip Wendy Morton.
He said he apologised “fully and unreservedly” and said he will do his “utmost to ensure this does not happen again”.
Williamson told the Commons:
During this exchange I used intemperate and inappropriate language which I regret and I apologised for shortly after.
My behaviour led to a complaint, the complaint was initially dismissed by the commissioner for Parliamentary Standards, however this decision was appealed and subsequently reversed by the independent expert panel
I accept the decision that my conduct constituted a breach of the bullying and harassment policy, and have since reflected on my behaviour. I reiterate my apology made to the complainant following the breach.
I apologise to them again now and I apologise to the House fully and unreservedly. I will do my utmost to ensure this does not happen again.
Updated
