THE word “British” is actually just a shorthand that people use for the word “English”, Rishi Sunak has suggested.
The Prime Minister’s admission came after he was pressed for about the thousandth time on why his government had briefed the media on plans for a “British baccalaureate” when education is devolved to the nations.
He insisted that the term is actually just "shorthand" for a new, broader, England-only qualification ...
Sunak was appearing at Westminster’s Liaison Committee – a top committee made up of the chairpeople of the others – when he was asked about his phrasing by SNP MP Joanna Cherry.
“You mentioned a British baccalaureate there,” Cherry began. “I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, but it would of course be an English baccalaureate wouldn’t it, because education is fully devolved.
“Scottish students already do a wider range of subjects at their higher level than in England.”
In a response which was about as sharp as we’ve come to expect from the prime minister who was second choice to Liz Truss, Sunak said: “My focus was looking at maths.”
“Yes, but my point is it wouldn’t be a British baccalaureate, it would be an English one because education is fully devolved to the Scottish parliament,” Cherry repeated for what wouldn’t be the final time.
“I’m not actually talking about that,” Sunak insisted in a masterclass in missing the point. “I was just talking about actually people studying more maths after the age of 16. That doesn’t mean it’s in a baccalaureate.”
“Do you accept my point?” Cherry asked.
“Yes, it was the same point that Robin made,” Sunak responded, in reference to an earlier question from Tory MP, and chair of the Education Select Committee, Robin Walker.
“No, it’s not. It’s a different point,” Cherry said. “My point was, if there’s to be a British baccalaureate it would not be a British baccalaureate, it would be an English one because education is fully devolved to the Scottish parliament.
“It’s not a trick question Prime Minister, it’s just a really simple point.”
Rishi Sunak was pressed repeatedly on how he could plan for a new 'British baccalaureate' qualification when education is devolved ... 👇 pic.twitter.com/EB0yoYji4w
— The Jouker (@ScotJouker) December 21, 2022
Finally getting to grips with it, Sunak said that the term “British baccalaureate” was just shorthand.
He told MPs: “I think it’s a statement of fact [that education is devolved] and I think it’s the same point that Robin made. I wasn’t disagreeing with it.
"It’s actually a shorthand that people use, because of the alliteration, for having a broader qualification. I don’t think it’s meant to be in any way a reflection on the devolution settlement.”
So the term "British baccalaureate" is actually just a handy shorthand term for a new English qualification, according to the Prime Minister.
Either way, Sunak – for it was Sunak who announced the England-only “British baccalaureate” plan during his first bid for No 10 – may actually have been reflecting on the devolution settlement a little more than he’d like to admit there.
"What does it matter what the devolved nations think" seems to be the Tory government’s foundational attitude – despite Sunak's claims of wanting to work in partnership.
As a side note, Robin Walker had in fact been making the same point as Cherry, that a British baccalaureate cannot be created by the UK Government alone because education is devolved. Sunak simply ignored it though.
Walker had said: “There has been a briefing that you are looking at a British baccalaureate for post-16. Given that we are talking about the Union, what conversations have there been with the devolved administrations about that, given that education is wholly devolved in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales?
“How can we call it a British baccalaureate if it is England-only?”
True to form, Sunak ignored the question entirely, saying that his “main focus … is looking at maths” …
