To wonder where Gavin Williamsons resignation is?

[KenAdams]

They can't put all the blame on Sally Collier surely? The Guardian suggests the select committee were warned in advance but chose to take no action. That rests with Gavin Williamson imo.

@HijabiVenus

How many other people - people on here would resign if they made an error, or missed scrutinissing some elses error?

If we had a hire and fire at will, like some states in the US they it would be understandable but the constant harping demand to resign (aimed only at high ranking figures) is pathetic.

Binman did not empty my bin last night - resign or get sacked! No, its stupid.

Please tell me you're not genuinely comparing the exam shambles that adversely affected the immediate future of hundreds of thousands of children to your bin not being emptied?

I mean, surely you wouldn't be so crass and stupid?

That’s how it is supposed to be in politics, hijabi, you fuck up thousands of people’s lives, you resign or get sacked. Look at the head of Ofqual, she managed to do the decent thing (and everyone knows she was the fall guy).

Theresa May previously sacked Williamson for leaking state secrets. This isn’t his first outing.

He’d still be an MP, just not in the role he is so manifestly incapable of doing.

@HijabiVenus

How many other people - people on here would resign if they made an error, or missed scrutinissing some elses error?

If we had a hire and fire at will, like some states in the US they it would be understandable but the constant harping demand to resign (aimed only at high ranking figures) is pathetic.

Binman did not empty my bin last night - resign or get sacked! No, its stupid.

Did your bin not being emptied affect a whole year group of a level students?

Did it still being full affect the economy, health and well being of the country?

What a daft comparison!

I think they are holding it in reserve so that they have a scapegoat for the next education crisis (there’s definitely at least one coming in the near future).

Hmmm, Schools in England going back from next week?

How many other people - people on here would resign if they made an error, or missed scrutinissing some elses error?

This isn't just buying the wrong colour of wallpaper - it's something that affects many people's lives. There was enough leaked to the media before A Level results came out that it was clear that the results being thrown out were problematic; there were multiple commentaries of the problem written up with 24 hours of the algorithm suggesting that they were not difficult to spot. Meanwhile the person who is meant to be responsible for this seems to have been oblivious to the problems until the weekend after A Level results. That's not an "error" - that's real incompetence!

The demand to resign from high ranking figures, is because of their rank - they are expected to take the rap. Mind you, if it had been a junior in the Dept of Ed, someone of a lowly clerical grade, they would probably have got the sack or at least a formal warning.

If he resigned it would set a dangerous president that this government is keen to avoid.

If one minister resigns because of gross incompetence where will it end?

@InfiniteSheldon

Very childish all these wails and whines for resignations

Yes, British constitutional principles like ministerial responsibility are just so preschool.

@InfiniteSheldon what’s ridiculous comment!!

It’s probably in the same place as Dominic’s!!

Consdering he got the job after being sacked for a serious thing it shows how little importance Boris puts on getting things right.

I just keep thinking - how much more fucked up would the whole schools saga (exams and generally through Covid) have been had Gavin Williamson not been married to an ex teacher?

I mean that must have given him at least a tiny insight into how schools work, or given him someone he could say "what do you think of X?" to who will be bluntly honest with him.

I think he's being kept in post until after the return to school, so that if that's a farce there's an available sacking. Similar to John Swinney in Scotland.

Sadly a sign of the times. It would be great if it was only about BJs leadership but we seen it with JC too and his cronies. A lot of experienced and talented politicians were sidelined because they don’t kiss the feet of the baseless cults of Brexit and momentum. Our country suffered and continues to suffer because of it.

Stammer has shown he is willing to ax people in the way he responded to RLB. But JC has left him with a bunch of talentless fuckwits too.

JC was never in Government - that's the difference. Starmer has time to identify talent in his MPs and build upon it.

There is a big swathe of young voters who will punish the Tories come the next election along with a fair few others in the education sector.

Lucky for Gav he is in a safe seat but I suppose it could be an opposition target

@Weebitawks

If he resigned it would set a dangerous president that this government is keen to avoid.

If one minister resigns because of gross incompetence where will it end?

Empty Westminster on the Tory side 🤣

@StaffAssociationRepresentative

There is a big swathe of young voters who will punish the Tories come the next election along with a fair few others in the education sector.

My ds just turned 16 and gcse results year actually said to me did Boris not realise he's doing over all his potential voters in next election.

I didn't think he even paid any attention to politics (except to all trump a test every now and again!)

It's the same with all the people saying our kids couldn't cope with face masks.

They underestimate those who are our future.
Because they underestimate teachers - who recently thread on MN show are calm and great at debate and these are the people shaping these young people.

@Peregrina

JC was never in Government - that's the difference. Starmer has time to identify talent in his MPs and build upon it.

JC was a leader. A very poor leader who allowed vile racism to be spoken if it was said by one of his cronies. His ridiculous ideologies mattered more than ethics or morality.

I agree that JC was a poor leader, but he wasn't in Government so wasn't responsible for the current mess. He was certainly responsible for not presenting an effective Opposition but that is now history.

I don't think that Labour as a whole is any more racist than the Tories are.

So 5/10 for a What about Corbyn?

Would Starmer do better if he suddenly became PM? I think so, I don't think contracts would be put out to cronies for a starter.

Up his arse, along with his head.
Absolutely awful incompetence displayed by him. And that's saying something with this shit show of a government

This is actually Boris's problem.
When a minister resigns he has to find a replacement. Most of the capable candidates were Remainers, so he (or Cummings) won't consider them. He's having to scrape the barrel of Brexiters that haven't already disgraced themselves. Not an easy task.

@GladAllOver

This is actually Boris's problem. When a minister resigns he has to find a replacement. Most of the capable candidates were Remainers, so he (or Cummings) won't consider them. He's having to scrape the barrel of Brexiters that haven't already disgraced themselves. Not an easy task.

Essentially yes. And when you're that desperate, British constitutional principles have to take second place even if you had any inclination to respect them in the first place.

I would have thought that being a Brexiter who had already disgraced themself would be a prime qualification. Look at Priti Patel, sacked by May but elevated to Home Secretary by Johnson.

@GladAllOver

This is actually Boris's problem. When a minister resigns he has to find a replacement. Most of the capable candidates were Remainers, so he (or Cummings) won't consider them. He's having to scrape the barrel of Brexiters that haven't already disgraced themselves. Not an easy task.

This is true.

But it's not just staunch Brexiteers he's running out of to keep in top positions and back him if he sacks those incompetent it's suitable replacements.

Whereas months previously he'd have had a selection he could use who would have supported him to a degree.

More and more have come out against him - started with the Cummings saga - and because of this challenge within his own party has grown strength in numbers.

If he really is being run by the supposed genius Cummings I would question how much of a genius he is.

He's managed to get the right people at the top for his plan but lose understudies if it all goes wrong.

It depends what Cummings has on him, of course. Could well be that keeping him on and taking all that flack was the lesser of two evils.

@PiataMaiNei

It depends what Cummings has on him, of course. Could well be that keeping him on and taking all that flack was the lesser of two evils.

This is where I am at, it’s a symbiotic relationship.

Does anyone ever wonder if Boris has been used by the party as well?

He strikes me as that friendly but naive kid in the posh big common room who is so desperate to be liked he doesn't realise that the 'friends' aren't putting him as front boy out of respect but to get what they want without the negative consequences.

When you hear descriptions of him from his Eton and Uni days you often hear 'popular misfit'.

The narrative fits.