Leeds pupils have hit out at new PM Liz Truss for her “embarrassing” comments about their school.
The incoming Prime Minister made the headlines when she criticised Roundhay School where she attended as a teenager. Truss, 47, said when she attended the school she saw "children who failed and were let down by low expectations" and described the upmarket North Leeds suburb as a "red wall" seat.
Truss’ comments were made during her campaign to become the Tory leader in mid-July during the school holidays. The 47-year-old won the leadership election yesterday (September 5) with 57 per cent of members' votes, over 20,000 more votes than Rishi Sunak, replacing Boris Johnson.
Read more: Residents happy with Liz Truss as new PM as 'she grew up in Leeds'
Young couple Hannah Wardill and Charles Byng, both 17, have hit out at Truss. When the school holidays end, they will be returning to Roundhay School Sixth Form to continue their studies.
"Embarrassed" by her comments, they are tentatively awaiting to see what will be said at the first assembly back.
Asked how they felt about the next PM growing up in Leeds, Hannah said: “It would be good if it wasn’t her. The things she’s said about the school, we go to Roundhay School now, I just think it’s really embarrassing.
“We haven’t been back to school yet so it hasn’t been a big thing so I’m not sure what they’re going to do but we’ve been trying to work out whether they’re going to mention it in assembly or not. They could do because obviously it’s a big alumni but she’s repeatedly knocked down the school and said things that make zero sense.
“She’s saying it’s bad but she went to Oxford. There’s a bit of a disconnect. If it’s that bad then how did she get into [the University of] Oxford? Roundhay is a posh area compared to other places.
“It’s just stupid.”
Roundhay School scored as ‘outstanding’ in its most recent Ofsted report in 2013, the highest possible score a school can achieve following the inspection. Roundhay also has a reputation for being a leafy upmarket suburb containing one of the largest parks in Europe, a short drive away from the city-centre.
Charles said: “It’s always been a nice area and it’s in the outskirts of town. I feel like she almost wants to be disconnected from Roundhay, especially with what she said about the school and then nothing positive about the area. Especially since we go to school there [I don’t like her] because she said nothing about how good it is now.”
Hannah added: “I guess a lot of them went to private schools so it’s good she didn’t. It gives her a bit more standing. But she’s emphasising that a bit too much when she speaks. A lot of people don’t go to private schools but she’s acting like she’s really special for not doing that, she’s egging it up too much.”
Rishi Sunak attended Winchester College, a boy’s independent boarding school, and Boris Johnson attended Ashdown College, another boarding school, before attending Eton College.
Truss will be meeting the Queen in Balmoral, Scotland, where she will be appointed as the Prime Minister.
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