Gavin Williamson has accused Boris Johnson of mishandling the re-opening of schools during the pandemic. Giving evidence in the latest module of the Covid inquiry, the former prime minister looked mildly annoyed when he heard his former education secretary had accused him of “damaging” the work he had done with schools during the pandemic.
Williamson, who gave his own evidence to the inquiry last week, said Johnson had made the “unilateral decision” to re-open the schools in May 2021. “A delicate position was reached,” said Claire Dobbin KC, the barrister questioning Johnson. “There was an understanding [with Williamson] on the part of schools about who would return,” she said. “By your actions, you damaged the work that he had done with schools, and you undermined that trust. That’s the criticism he makes of you.”
Johnson bristled at Williamson’s scathing accusations. “I don’t remember the details of that,” the former PM said (words to that effect were used several times during this session). “It seems a bit paradoxical to be criticised for wanting to close schools and wanting to get them open,” he said. Of Williamson’s specific criticism, Johnson said: “it was right, given where we were in May. We’d been through a lot. The R [number] was coming down… I thought it was right to go ahead with getting kids back to school”.
But despite this moment of tension, Johnson was deeply apologetic. He described having to close schools as a “nightmare idea” adding that children were “paying a huge price” to protect the rest of society. “I wish it had been otherwise,” Johnson said.
It will be some time before we know the findings of the inquiry. For now we just know one thing: whether it is one of the bendy ones he so despised or one of the Routemasters he so cherished, Johnson has been thrown under the bus.
[Further reading: Exclusive: Starmer outspends Johnson on levelling up in first year]
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