Government mistakes highlighted during Covid inquiry

On Tuesday, 14th October, Former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson told the Covid-19 inquiry that multiple mistakes were made ” in the early stages of the pandemic”. He has also apologised that the department of education was not sharp enough with its response to the situation, which directly affects UN Sustainable Development Goal number 4, where the education system has been negatively impacted.

The week before, former DfE schools director general Sir Jon Coles told the inquiry that it was an “extraordinary dereliction of duty” for the DfE not to plan for school closures earlier in March 2020; however, Williamson disagreed with that assessment.

He also added that there should have been a better understanding across government of the significance of the pandemic and that they should have “bitten the bullet and made those plans in a way that would have helped later on”.

When Clair Dobbin KC, who was part of the inquiry committee, asked why the plan was known to academy trust leaders like Sir Jon that schools would close, and not to the Secretary of State for Education, Williamson responded with the fact that the department was given a “clear indication that we were to keep schools open”.

He also explained that the key decisions made during the pandemic were taken at the centre of Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, and different departments did not have the freedom to “go out and start consulting with lots of people about what school closures will look like.”

Here are the responses to Sir Gavins evidence

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8NrB3z_Km0

Most people blame politicians and the government for lying to the public, which undermines their credibility and relationship with the public, a crucial factor if the Conservatives want to regain power and replace Labour.

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