Pressure mounts on Sunak and Keegan over school concrete crisis

PM accused of cutting back repair efforts when he was chancellor, as education secretary apologises for claim colleagues failed to act

The school buildings crisis is threatening to engulf Downing Street, with Rishi Sunak accused of slashing the budget for repairs while his education secretary was caught claiming colleagues had done nothing to stop it.

As pupils began returning to schools around England on Monday - or in some cases took lessons from home or in temporary classrooms - the prime minister faced claims he failed to grasp the gravity of the situation as chancellor.