Coronavirus: Keir Starmer accuses government of being 'asleep at the wheel' over reopening of schools in England

'I genuinely think we could have had all our children back in school by now,' says Labour leader

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson’s government of being “asleep at the wheel” over the reopening of schools in England insisting there had been a “total lack” of planning.

The Labour leader’s remarks follow the U-turn by Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, earlier this month – dropping government plans to return all primary pupils to school before the six-week summer holidays.

Speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir said: “From the day the schools were shut down, it was obvious what needed to happen to get them back open again. You needed a risk assessment, and you needed to look at the space. I've talked to loads of headteachers, and the points they have made to me were obvious and practical and could have been overcome."

He added: "If you could put up Nightingale hospitals – a good thing to do – you can certainly put up temporary classrooms, you can certainly take over libraries, community centres.

"Had there been work on this from the day the schools closed down, I genuinely think we could have had all our children back in school by now, but the government was asleep at the wheel, didn't get to this until too late in the day, and now we're in the situation where children will be able to do other things this weekend, but not be in school on Monday."

Speaking just moments later, Mr Williamson said advice on how schools will fully reopen in England amid the coronavirus pandemic will be set out “at the end of this week”.

Questioned on the BBC whether there would be a detailed plan to get children back to school, the education secretary said: “There will”.

“We’re going to take the opportunity to spell out exactly as to how we will see a full return for all children back into school before the end of this week. As I’m sure you’ll understand and appreciate at the moment, we’re consulting and talking with different people, whether it’s headteachers, whether it’s unions, whether it’s representative bodies.”

But pressed on whether he believed it was now safe for children to return to schools, Sir Keir also told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I want as many children back in school as swiftly as possible. Let responsibility lie where it should lie here.

“From the days schools were closed it was obvious what the problems would be getting them back open. They are to do with the size of the school, the extent to which schools of have children with special needs. Had there been an effort from the day after the schools were closed to get them open, children would be back in school.”

Asked again, he continued: “Well of course it’s safe for some children to be back in school and they are back in school, and they’ve been in school throughout the pandemic.

“Even the prime minister isn’t saying all children could be back in school today because he hasn’t made the plan for that.”