Sir Gavin Williamson considered resigning as education secretary during the pandemic over the Government's decision to shut schools at the start of 2021, he has revealed in a piece for The Telegraph. 

Sir Gavin said that he thought "long and deeply" about quitting: 

Looking back now, I wonder whether I should have resigned at that point. I certainly thought long and deeply over whether I should have gone then. I just felt so personally upset about it. Ultimately, if the medical experts were saying that’s what needed to be done then you’re torn even if – in your heart of hearts – you know the best place for children was in school.

I’ve always been a team player, but you often found that different departments had different priorities and you sometimes felt that what was said one day was very rapidly changing the next day.

You can read the piece in full here. 

Sir Gavin Williamson has been urged to apologise after The Lockdown Files revealed he said teachers were looking for an “excuse” not to work during the pandemic (you can read the full story here).

The then education secretary also criticised both school staff and teaching unions for their response to coronavirus, saying that the latter “really do just hate work”.

The Liberal Democrats said that Mr Williamson “should apologise for these comments”. 

Munira Wilson, the party’s education spokeswoman, said: “Gavin Williamson was a disgraceful education secretary and these comments solidify his place in history as one of the worst Ministers ever to grace Government. 

“At the very least Gavin Williamson should apologise for these comments. The most shocking thing about Williamsons' catalogue of failures is that Rishi Sunak believes this person was still fit to serve in Government."