EDUCATION Secretary Bridget Phillipson has described the allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as “extremely serious”.
Asked if he should be removed from the line of succession, she told the Camilla Tominey Show on GB News: “Our position is that we should keep all of these options open, but we need the police investigation to carry on, so nothing will happen while this police investigation is underway.
“But we do believe that all options should be open for consideration. This is extremely serious.”
On if new legislation was needed, she said: “We’re not ruling that out. And whatever it takes, we’re not ruling that out either. But at the moment, because there is a live police investigation, it’s right that they do their work.
“They go wherever the evidence takes them, and as His Majesty has himself said, no one is above the law, and he has given his full support to the police and the work that they are undertaking.”
Asked why Peter Mandelson has not been arrested, she said: “I don’t have any insight into that.
“Obviously, matters for the police are for them, they are operationally independent, and they should be allowed to get on and do whatever they need in order to bring those responsible for any criminal activity to justice.”
On education, she was asked about the increase in pupils who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs): “I think this is complex, and there are a range of views. What I don’t think helps is to blame parents or stigmatise them for seeking the support their children need.
“If your child’s struggling and they’re really under pressure, and you as a parent, you want the best. Of course, you want the best for your child and your child, and you’ll fight really hard to get that, but the system we have pushes parents into seeking an Education, Health and Care Plan in order for their child to get that support.
“The intention of our reforms, and what I’ll be setting out tomorrow, is how we make more of that support available much more quickly, without the need to go through that process with significant extra investment that will follow alongside it, but we’re also investing upfront.
“We’re already investing to transform the system so that all children have a better school experience. Because even when we’re not talking about formal diagnosis, lots of children at some point at school will struggle.
“They’ll find there’ll be some aspects where they need extra support, and that will also apply to children who are bright but need an extra push, and this is about high standards for all.”