Former education secretary Gavin Williamson opposed masks in schools during the pandemic because he was in “no surrender mode” with trade unions and “didn’t want to give an inch”, according to the top civil servant.

The comments come from a WhatsApp message from cabinet secretary Simon Case to the prime minister’s then chief adviser Dominic Cummings, in August 2020, submitted as evidence to the UK Covid-19 inquiry.

The exchange came after the government had U-turned on the need for masks to be worn in some secondary schools ahead of the 2020-21 academic year.

The U-turn, exclusively revealed by Tes at the time, was in line with World Health Organization advice and came after a similar move in Scotland.

Ministers had initially blocked the decision as a result of animosity towards the education unions, according to the evidence that has now come to light.

Union leaders say this shows Mr Williamson ”prioritised point scoring over serious engagement” on Covid safety in schools.

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The message from Mr Case also warned that “at every turn” the then prime minister Boris Johnson had backed “bullshit no surrender ideas” from Mr Williamson, Matt Hancock and Grant Shapps - who were education, health and transport secretaries - and then “totally regret[ted] it later”.

The WhatsApp message was presented on the screen at the Covid-19 inquiry yesterday.

Mr Case, who at the time was permanent secretary at Number 10, focusing on Covid-19, was replying to a question from Mr Cummings who asked: “What’s the true reason for the U-turn on masks?”

In response, Mr Case wrote: “Weeks ago, we recommended to PM that we create permissive guidance around masks because we could foresee it was going to be a drama in Sept.

“Gavin discussed at a Covid cttee mtg. Because at that stage it was unions pressing for masks (no science back-up), Gavin was in ‘no surrender’ mode and didn’t want to give an inch to the unions, so said we should hold firm. PM gave him full support in this approach.”

Mr Case said he had advocated a shift in policy “because we cannot hold a line on anything”.

He added that if it had not been for the “shadow” of the “exam fiasco”, it wouldn’t have been “such a U-turn issue”.

In the summer of 2020, following the cancellation of exams, there was massive controversy after the government abandoned its plan to award moderated grades after A-level results had been received by students.

Mr Case also said that polling and focus groups had shown that parents were still “v nervous about safety of schools and support masks”.

Covid in schools

Union leaders have today criticised Mr Williamson in response to this evidence being published.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said the evidence “confirms what teachers and parents had always suspected - that Gavin Williamson prioritised point scoring over serious engagement with the representatives of hundreds of thousands of education workers about the best way of suppressing the spread of Covid-19 in schools”.

He added that “several” weeks before this WhatsApp exchange, in July 2020, the NEU wrote to Mr Williamson to highlight the role that masks could play in keeping Covid under control in schools and colleges.

“We also called for a review of the case for mandating their use in the light of developments in scientific opinion and practice elsewhere,” he said.

‘Government put politics before people’

Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: “In a time of national crisis, the Conservatives put politics before people. Education leaders rightly raised concerns about the need to protect staff and children in schools. But these warnings were dismissed out of hand due to vindictiveness towards unions.

“Parents, pupils, school staff and the public will be horrified to learn that lives were put at risk because ministers were pursuing a petty political vendetta. This can never happen again.”

On August 25 2020, a day before the Whatsapp exchange, which has now been shared, the government had said that secondary staff and pupils would be expected to wear face masks when moving around schools in local lockdown zones.

At the time, the government also said it was “not recommending face coverings are necessary” nationwide, but that secondary schools would have the “discretion” to make masks mandatory in communal areas.

A government spokesperson said: “We have always said there are lessons to be learned from the pandemic and we are committed to learning from the Covid Inquiry’s findings, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.”

Mr Williamson’s office has been approached for comment.