03 September 2023 , 19:18
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Labour says the scandal over dodgy concrete is the perfect illustration of how Tory cuts have hit the nation.
But despite admitting even more schools and hospitals may be unsafe due to the problem, the Government insists its years of austerity are not to blame. Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “I can think of no more a defining image about the last 13 years of Conservative government than children being sat in classrooms under metal props to prevent the ceilings literally falling in on their heads.”
Asked on the BBC if Tory cuts are part of the reason for the debacle over RAAC concrete, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt bluntly said: “No.” The issue means that as children return to classrooms today, over 100 schools and colleges have been ordered to fully or partially shut buildings. Experts fear RAAC raises the danger of exposure to asbestos.
Jeremy Hunt (PA)Institution of Structural Engineers president Matt Byatt said: “There are two elements... If RAAC collapses it puts life at risk [instantly]; and asbestos can be deadly if it’s inhaled. These are not lightweight issues. They are very serious, and should be treated as such.”
A whistleblower who worked with then Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi claims Tory ministers were warned regularly about RAAC in early 2022. The source says ministers and advisers were “dangerously complacent” about the issue.
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