Fury as Gillian Keegan’s offices get £34million makeover while classrooms crumble

EDUCATION Secretary Gillian Keegan is under fire for blowing £34million revamping her offices — while schools struggle with unsafe concrete.

The work involves stripping out the 1990s interior over four floors of her department’s Westminster HQ.

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Shadow schools minister Stephen Morgan slammed Ms Keegan for having a £34million revamp of her offices as schools struggle with unsafe concreteCredit: Alamy

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Ms Keegan signed off on the revamp plans in April while schools across Britainwere checking for dodgy reinforced autoclaved aerated concreteCredit: Supplied

Construction giant Willmott Dixon added there was a “focus on sensory, cognitive, physical or developmental needs, along with improved lighting and a muted colour palette”.

There will be a quiet room and a modernised kitchen.

Papers show the contract was awarded under Ms Keegan’s predecessor last year.

But she signed it off in April — when schools across Britain were checking for dodgy reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Earlier tonight, shadow schools minister Stephen Morgan said: “Despite Labour’s repeated warnings, the Education Secretary chose to make her office plusher instead of making schools safe for our kids.

“She needs to stop hiding, tell us what she and her colleagues knew about the dangers that children faced from this concrete and how the Tories plan to stop yet more disruption to kids’ education.”

The Department for Education insisted: “The project, which was initiated in 2019, will significantly reduce the annual maintenance costs of the building to the taxpayer and ensure officials can continue to work productively.”