Penny Mordaunt’s face spoke for us all during PMQs as Rishi Sunak defended the government’s handling of the school concrete crisis.
The leader of the House of Commons joined ministers on the front bench for the first PMQs after the summer recess as the prime minister faced a grilling following the closure of more than 100 schools over the safety of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
Sunak has come under mounting pressure following allegations from a former senior civil servant that he refused to fully fund a programme to rebuild England’s crumbling schools while he was chancellor.
Jonathan Slater, who served as permanent secretary at the Department for Education from May 2016 to August 2020, said he was “absolutely amazed” the decision was made by the Treasury to slash the government budget for school repairs by half in 2021.
Slater said that up to 400 schools a year required replacement but that funding was given for just 100.
Sir Keir Starmer accused the Tories of behaving like “cowboy builders” over the crisis, in a jibe that has seemingly stuck in the public conscience.
He said: “The truth is this crisis is the inevitable result of 13 years of cutting corners, botched jobs, sticking plaster politics,” the Labour leader said.
“It’s the sort of thing you expect from cowboy builders. Saying everyone else is wrong and everyone else is to blame.
“Pretending they have done an ’effing good job even if the ceiling falls in.”
Starmer added: “The difference is, in this case The cowboys are running the country.”
Powerful though the Labour leader’s comments were, Mordaunt’s facial expressions spoke far louder.
Boredom or just sheer bewilderment at the prime minister’s seemingly unconvincing defence of the government’s record on school safety, the fact is, the leader of the house’s face told us everything.
Related: Starmer labels Tories ‘cowboy builders’ over school concrete crisis
