PMQs: Sir Keir Starmer takes intention at Rishi Sunak saying ‘cowboys are operating the nation’ at school concrete disaster jibe

Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned cowboys are “running the country” as he took the Tories to job over England’s crumbling faculties disaster.

The Labour chief mentioned faculty closures because of unsafe concrete are an “inevitable result of 13 years of cutting corners and sticking plaster politics”.

The assault at Prime Minister’s Questions got here because the Department for Education (DfE) lastly bowed to strain and published a list of almost 150 schools in England which have needed to shut or partially shut on account of points with strengthened autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Politics Live: Starmer attacks ‘cowboy’ Tories on school crisis

The authorities has confronted criticism for making an attempt to shift the blame after Education Secretary Gillian Keegan mentioned different folks had been “sat on their arses” in a sweary outburst and told school leaders to “get off their backsides”.

Sir Keir mentioned: “It’s the sort of thing you expect from cowboy builders saying that everyone else is wrong, everyone else is to blame, protesting they’ve done a f****** good job even if the ceiling falls in.

“The distinction, Mr Speaker, is that on this case, the cowboys are operating the nation.”

Labour says the Conservatives scrapped constructing work deliberate for at the least 19 faculties with RAAC throughout their final time period in workplace.

The faculties had initiatives earmarked for completion beneath Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme, which was axed when the Tories got here into energy in 2010 and the austerity years started.

Sir Keir talked about a variety of these faculties in the course of the PMQs conflict, however was accused of “political opportunism” by the prime minister.

Rishi Sunak mentioned Labour’s programme was “time-consuming and expensive, just like the Labour Party”.

The state of England’s faculties is within the highlight after greater than 100 have been ordered to totally or partially shut simply days earlier than the beginning of time period on account of issues in regards to the security of collapse-prone RAAC.

There have been warnings in regards to the unsafe materials for years however the authorities has insisted “new information” in regards to the extent of its threat solely got here to gentle this summer time.

Mr Sunak informed PMQs: “We make no apology for acting decisively in the face of new information… Of the 22,000 schools in England, the vast, vast majority won’t be affected.”

However, he confronted a grilling on why he rejected a funding request to fix 200 schools a year while chancellor, approving a scheme to refurbish round 50 a yr as an alternative.

PM grilled on £34m DfE refurbishment

Sir Keir known as on the prime minister to publish the requests from the Department for Education (DfE) for the varsity rebuilding programme and what dangers he was warned of.

Earlier this week, a former prime civil servant on the division, Jonathan Slater, mentioned it had warned of a “critical risk to life” in making their bid to the Treasury.

But Downing Street mentioned it could not be publishing the DfE’s submission requesting extra funding.

Speaking after PMQs, the prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned: “We don’t as a matter of course publish advice to prime ministers, or ministers. I’m not aware of any plans to change that longstanding approach.”

Sir Keir additionally pressed Mr Sunak on the £34m price of the refurbishment of the Department for Education workplace.

He requested “why he thinks a blank cheque for his Tory ministers’ office is better use of taxpayers’ money than stopping schools collapsing?”.

Sir Keir added: “Doesn’t it tell you everything you need to know, that he’s happy to spend millions of taxpayers money sprucing up Tory offices, billions to ensure there’s no VAT on Tory school fees, but he won’t lift a finger when It comes to protecting other people’s schools, other people’s safety, other people’s children.”

Mr Sunak mentioned: “I know he comes here with his prepared scripts but he hasn’t listened to a single fact on six questions about the record amounts of funding going into schools, about the incredible reforms to education impacting the most disadvantaged children in our society – a record we’re rightly proud of.”