Pretty quickly afterwards. Well come to that in a moment. First to the actual problem. A type of concrete in schools that can crumble. It means some parts of School Buildings can be unsafe. The Prime Minister had to defend his decisions, as he was accused of not investing enough in school repairs. Heres our Political Editor chris mason. You probably hadnt heard of it until the other day, but this stuff concrete that can get crumbly is building into a political mess. Did rishi sunak, when he was chancellor, walk away from repairs happening sooner . The man who used to be the Department For Educations most senior Civil Servant reckons he did. I was absolutely amazed to see that the decision made by the government was to halve the School Rebuilding programme down from 100 a year to 50 a year. The chancellor, of course, was at the time . Rishi sunak. So, what does the Prime Minister make of that . I think that is completely and utterly wrong. Actually, one of the first things i did as chancellor in my first Spending Review in 2020 was to announce a new ten year School Rebuilding programme for 500 schools. Now, that equates to about 50 schools a year that will be refurbished or rebuilt. And if you look at what weve been doing over the previous decade, thats completely in line with what weve always done. This Secondary School in County Durham was meant to open for the new term tomorrow, but it cant because of dangerous concrete. In both 2020 and 2021, the government promised 50 schools a year would be rebuilt. In 2019, the National Audit office said that £765 million was allocated to repairing School Buildings. That number has since fallen, and now stands at £450 million. So, squeezed budgets and competing priorities for spending. Speaking to those who were involved in the internal negotiations within government at the time, the Department For Education did want more money for school repairs. The treasury wasnt persuaded. But im told there were other bigger priorities then for education, not least, the amount of funding allocated per pupil. This concrete wasnt regarded as dangerous then as it is now. Its the Education Secretary whos decided on the need for greater caution. But there wasnt much caution when she went all Potty Mouthed after an interview this afternoon. Does anyone ever say, you know what, youve done a bleep good job, because Everyone Else has sat on their bleep, and done nothing . No signs of that, no . It turns out, no, not really. A few hours later, a new outfit and a rather different tone. Id like to apologise for my choice language there. That was unnecessary, but it was an off the cuff remark, basically based on the interview. The interviewer had been pressing me quite hard, you know, why i hadnt solve this issue, which had been going on since 1994. And, you know, it is frustrating, because were doing everything now to take a leading position, to be on the front foot. But the consequence of that is schools like this one in eltham in south london, having to close the gym, canteen and toilets. 0bviously, whats now been said shows the extent to which there is, you know, this passing the buck within the cabinet. Is rishi sunak Strong Enough to do anything about it . I doubt it. For some pupils, parents and teachers, it isnt going to be the start of the new term they expected. Chris mason, bbc news, westminster. Lets get some thoughts on this from will hutton. Newspaper columnist and president of the academy of social sciences,. Thank you for coming on the programme. What do you make of this whole row . I programme. What do you make of this whole row . ~. ,. , ~ programme. What do you make of this whole row . ~. , whole row . Ithink, look, Education Expenditure whole row . Ithink, look, Education Expenditure in whole row . Ithink, look, Education Expenditure in 202425 whole row . Ithink, look, Education Expenditure in 202425 in whole row . Ithink, look, Education Expenditure in 202425 in real whole row . Ithink, look, education. Expenditure in 202425 in real Terms Expenditure in 2024 25 in real terms will still be below the level it inherited when it came into office inherited when it came into office in 2010, thats a 1k year period in which Education Expenditure on everything, building new schools or providing teachers, materials has actually gone down in real terms. That is an astonishing kind of reality. In 2019, we were spending around £725 million on building, rebuilding around 150 schools. The Education Department wanted that number to go Education Department wanted that numberto go up Education Department wanted that number to go up because they were aware of these deficiencies with light concrete but when rishi sunak became chancellor, he cut that number right back. And announce that over the 2020 � s, there would be 500 new schools built, 50 a year which actually the number should have been 4000. There you are. For actually the number should have been 4000. There you are. 4000. There you are. For the context of all this is 4000. There you are. For the context of all this is coming 4000. There you are. For the context of all this is coming off 4000. There you are. For the context of all this is coming off the 4000. There you are. For the context of all this is coming off the back of all this is coming off the back of all this is coming off the back of all this is coming off the back of a financial crisis, austerity, things like covid, these are all things like covid, these are all things that influence spending decisions. ~ ,. , things that influence spending decisions. ~ ,. , decisions. Well, this is a long sto. Decisions. Well, this is a long story but decisions. Well, this is a long story. But many decisions. Well, this is a long story. But many economists i decisions. Well, this is a long i story. But many economists now decisions. Well, this is a long story. But many economists now take the view that what happened in 2010, the view that what happened in 2010, the governments response was 100 incorrect. There was a massive, what is called in the economics trade, Balance Sheet depression, thats to say whether you are a homeowner or a business, you had lots of debts and you are going to try to repay your and that would reduce demand in the economy. The government should try and compensate for that by spending itself but actually it didnt. It decided to go for austerity. That is what happened injapan in the 1990s and caused a prolonged recession. The same thing has been happening in britain. I would take the view and a lot of economists would agree that the context in which Education Spending was actually cut, and by the way that is an investment in the future, in our kids and it was across the board. Further education has been even more savagely cut than Secondary School expenditures. It has been apprenticeships the same story. At the moment the demand for apprenticeships is three times the number that has been provided. Wherever you look, investment by the british in their future, wherever you look, investment by the british in theirfuture, skills, literacy, numeracy, Technical Skills across the piece has been weakened in the last 14 years. There is no escaping it. In the last 14 years. There is no escaping it escaping it. Obviously the government escaping it. Obviously the government are escaping it. Obviously the government are not escaping it. Obviously the government are not here| escaping it. Obviously the i government are not here to escaping it. Obviously the government are not here to answer. They would argue their decisions at the time were in the best interests of the uk. I want to move to the politics of today, at this moment from Gillian Keegan court saying those comments with the microphone, hot mike moments. When someone is caught same something they shouldnt say in public, we kind of used to these and i wanted to play you a couple of them. These and i wanted to play you a couple of them. Shes ust a sort of biuoted couple of them. Shes ust a sort of bigoted woman. H couple of them. Shes ust a sort of bigoted woman, so couple of them. Shesjust a sort of bigoted woman, so she couple of them. Shesjust a sort of bigoted woman, so she used couple of them. Shesjust a sort of bigoted woman, so she used be. Bigoted woman, so she used be labour. ~. ,. , bigoted woman, so she used be labour. ~. ,. , bigoted woman, so she used be labour. , bigoted woman, so she used be labour. ~. ,. ,. , labour. What are you doing . You leavin . Labour. What are you doing . You leaving . No. Labour. What are you doing . You leaving . No, not labour. What are you doing . You leaving . No, not yet. Labour. What are you doing . You leaving . No, not yet. A labour. What are you doing . You leaving . No, not yet. A little labour. What are you doing . You leaving . No, not yet. A little bit| leaving . No, not yet. A little bit hard to hear leaving . No, not yet. A little bit hard to hear but leaving . No, not yet. A little bit hard to hear but that leaving . No, not yet. A little bit hard to hear but that was leaving . No, not yet. A little bit| hard to hear but that was gordon brown back in 2010, the then Prince Charles in 2005 speaking about a bbc reporter and former us president George W Bush speaking to former Prime Minister tony blair in 2006. What can we take from these kind of moments . I what can we take from these kind of moments . , moments . I think the very elementary. Moments . I think the very elementary, if moments . I think the very elementary, if you moments . I think the very elementary, if you are moments . I think the very elementary, if you are in l moments . I think the very elementary, if you are in public life, never eversay elementary, if you are in public life, never ever say anything if you are absolutely sure the microphone is switched on. The second thing is, im not sure, i mean Gordon Browns remark did cost him, no question. That didnt help, particularly she was talking about immigration. I dont think people are going to come i dont think the Education Secretary will have the same problems because in a sense, she is a kind of. She speaks well and articulately and i am certain that whatever the failings i talked about earlier, im sure she is aware of them and im sure shes going to use this moment to try and get redress and try and get more money into schools. Actually, she is right, she was the only one out and about today making the case, Everyone Else was letting her take the flak. It was the government as a whole that led to Education Expenditure being in the position it is in. She could have done with some buttressing and i dont think rishi sunak� s remark helped her at all. I understand her frustration and i dont think people will exact a price for that. There will exact a price for that. There will be some sympathy for her. Great to net our will be some sympathy for her. Great to get your thoughts will be some sympathy for her. Great to get your thoughts and will be some sympathy for her. Great to get your thoughts and analysis. Thank you so much. I am still wearing my microphone so i will be careful indeed. The first Africa Climate summit is under way. Its happening in kenya. 23 african heads of state there talk about how to respond to Climate Change. Ethiopia, kenya and somalia recently went through their worst drought in decades, with five consecutive failed rainy seasons. One of the deadliest storms to hit africa in the last two decades, cyclone freddy, ripped through malawi, mozambique and madagascar in late february, killing over a thousand people. And both west and Central Africa experienced one of the worst Flooding Disasters ever in 2022. More than 1,500 people were killed and 3. 2 million displaced. Kenyas president opened the summit and laid out the scale of the challenge. We love this world, of course it is our home. And that is why the conversation of north versus south must come to an end. Who did what is not a conversation that we have the luxury to engage in. Because when the apocalypse happens, it will happen for all of us, for the entire humanity. 0ur africa correspondent anne soy told us about the significance of the Africa Climate summit. This is the first Africa Climate summit, and its been organised by the kenyan government together with the african union. And the thinking is that, as we have heard from the president william ruto, saying that this is the time to think about solutions. It is not time to come and list our grievances. Everybody knows where the problems are, that africa contributes leased to Climate Change, but suffers the biggest impact from it. And therefore he says its time to look for ideas, its time to bring them together. Thats what theyre hoping to do during this conference, to bring together ideas from across the continent, come up with a document that articulates the position of african countries going into cop 28. That is the United NationsClimate Summit coming up in november. And he says some of the Solutions Lie in the land, the vast land that is available for agricultural that is underutilised, minerals that are used for the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles. He did drive himself today and yesterday to the conference in an electric vehicle. And, you know, just the african population, youthful population, which makes Economies Of Scale make sense. However, it sounds really good when hes putting a speech or putting it on paper, but theres so many complications. These minerals are found in some of the conflict areas. The conflict has been going on for a very long time. The Land Question is still very contentious on the continent. So it is not, you know, instant solutions here, but it is a start. It is a start to get africas voice on the table. Yusuf ahmed is regional director for east africa, Islamic Relief worldwide, a humanitarian organisation which helps communities to adapt to the impact of Climate Change. Thank you very much for coming on the programme. Thank you very much for coming on the programme thank you very much for coming on the programme. Thank you very much for coming on the rouramme. , ~. , the programme. Thank you so much for havin me. The programme. Thank you so much for having me anne the programme. Thank you so much for having me. Anne mentioned the programme. Thank you so much for having me. Anne mentioned the having me. Anne mentioned the riori is having me. Anne mentioned the priority is not having me. Anne mentioned the priority is not just having me. Anne mentioned the priority is notjust coming having me. Anne mentioned the priority is notjust coming up having me. Anne mentioned the l priority is notjust coming up with a list of grievances but solutions. What are some of the big things that will be looked at here . The what are some of the big things that will be looked at here . Will be looked at here . The Africa Summit is actually will be looked at here . The Africa Summit is actually the will be looked at here . The Africa Summit is actually the first will be looked at here . The Africa Summit is actually the first of will be looked at here . The Africa Summit is actually the first of its l summit is actually the first of its kind and i think its coming at a very important time when the outcomes of this summit will feed into cop 28 which will take place at the end of this year. By and large i think the Climate Impact is very visible in africa. Its happening, its really causing havoc. But particularly the vulnerable communities who live in marginal lands, dry lands in africa in particular are most vulnerable. The Climate Impact has displaced millions, affected millions in the Horn Of Africa where the last, recent drought in late 2020 two early 2023, that means the failure of five consecutive rains, it has affected around 36 million. These people contribute the least to Global Warming and Climate Change and yet they are actually paying the price. That price includes destruction of livelihoods, the of people and the erosion of livelihoods. Close to 9 million livestock have been lost in the last two years in the Horn Of Africa. Given that very long list of the damage done already and will be done, what are