Gavin Williamson defends going on holiday ahead of exam results chaos
Gavin Williamson has defended his decision to take a trip before A-level results day
2 min read
Gavin Williamson has defended his decision to go on holiday just days before A-level results day.
The embattled Education Secretary has insisted he was in "constant communication" with his department after he revealed he had taken a trip to see family in Scarborough just days before A-level results were released.
It comes after The Sunday Times reported that Mr Williamson had cancelled an important meeting in the run up to exam results day because he was on holiday.
But in a post on Twitter, Mr Williamson defended the trip, saying: "I cancelled our family holiday abroad this year to focus on the challenges COVID-19 created for the education sector.
"Over the summer, I went to see family in Scarborough for the first time since lockdown, and while there I was in constant communication with the department."
His comments came after fellow education minister Gillian Keegan came under fire for taking a holiday to the French Alps while students were recieving their results.
In a post on Instagram, she said: "We will have to make the most of it [our holiday] as we will be quarantined for 14 days when we get back."
The photos - some of which were 'liked' by Mr Williamson - showed the Tory minister taking hiking trips, bike rides and swimming in mountain lakes during her foreign holiday.
But Labour MP Neil Coyle hit back at the pair, saying: "Gavin Williamson's incompetence truly knows no bounds. Young people who have been put through hell over the last few weeks will be disgusted to learn that one of the Ministers involved in this mess has been living it up on holiday in France.
"But instead of Mr Williamson recognising he needed all hands on deck as this exam disaster loomed, he not only let her swan off on holiday, he even liked her holiday snaps."
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