Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says he was visiting family in Scarborough amid claims he was on holiday during exam crisis
The Yorkshire-born MP was accused of going on holiday just days before teenagers received their A-Level results in an article by The Sunday Times, which also alleged he had cancelled a key meeting to make the trip.
But the 44-year-old said he had cancelled his family holiday to focus on the coronavirus crisis and was in constant communication with the Department for Education during his time in Yorkshire.
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Hide AdHis tweet said: "I cancelled our family holiday abroad this year to focus on the challenges COVID-19 created for the education sector. Over the summer, I went to see family in Scarborough for the first time since lockdown, and while there I was in constant communication with the Department."
Grades for A level students had originally been based on an algorithm, seeing thousands of students being marked down or left in limbo over university places, but were then reverted back to using teachers' assessed grades.
The Education Secretary, who grew up in Scarborough but now represents the South Staffordshire constituency in Parlimament, is facing mounting calls to resign following the embarrassing U-turn over the exam grades fiasco.
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