Gillian Keegan expresses frustration over School Concrete Crisis, swearing caught on mic
Gillian Keegan, the UK's Education Secretary, found herself in the spotlight after being inadvertently recorded expressing frustration over the handling of the school building crisis. Following an interview with ITV, Keegan was caught on a live microphone questioning the lack of acknowledgment for her department's efforts in addressing the ongoing school concrete crisis.
In an unguarded moment, she candidly remarked, «Does anyone ever say you've done a good job because everyone else has sat on their a** and done nothing?» She followed this with a rueful, «Any sign of that, no?»
A source from Downing Street promptly condemned Keegan's comments, describing them as «completely wrong», as reported by BBC.
Addressing the School Concrete Crisis
During the ITV interview, Keegan faced pressing questions about whether the government had taken sufficient action to rectify the issue of deteriorating concrete, also known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), in school buildings.
It remains unclear who Keegan was referring to when she remarked that others had «done nothing.»
However, she indicated in the interview that local authorities and multi-academy trusts had traditionally held the responsibility for maintaining school buildings. Keegan emphasized that the Department for Education's primary role did not involve maintaining school infrastructure. Nonetheless, the department had undertaken a survey of schools to centralize information on RAAC.
She also mentioned that following a structural collapse in a Kent school in 2018, the department had issued warnings to the «people responsible.»
Political Responses and Upcoming Address to Parliament
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, criticized the government
