Public outrage as Tory minister behind A-Levels fiasco and Brexiteer MPs are nominated for MP of the Year Award

Education minister Gavin Williamson could be the next MP of the Year despite begin leading the A-Levels debacle which saw almost 40% of student results downgraded a grade or more by a controversial computer algorithm.

Williamson, who last week ditched the algorithm in favour of teacher assessments following a nationwide student backlash, will be facing off against a long list of MPs including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ERG members Mark Francois and Steve Barker for the award being run by Patchwork, an organisation campaigning for greater engagement of teens from BAME and minority communities in parliament.

https://twitter.com/ukpatchwork/status/1297126411405271040

The awards are being sponsored by auditing giant KPMG and are determined in two ways: The first – the Judge’s Awards – is chosen by an independent panel of judges; the second looks to the public to determine the winners of the People’s Choice Awards, which Williamson is being nominated for.

Twitter users were less than impressed with the news.

In other news the NSPCC has nominated Prince Andrew as the royal family member of the year....
— Peter Morgan (@NotVBrightSpark) August 22, 2020
 

‘Patchwork and KPMG are both completely tone deaf to press ahead with this. Shows contempt for all the young people caught up in the chaos of exam results,’ Best for Britain chief executive Naomi Smith wrote.

‘You’re kidding me,’ @Gwenelope said while @Beany_1 asked if people were ‘taking the absolute piss’.

Stephen Kinsella said he did not ‘have the words’ to describe his reaction. @Pooky H asked if he could be nominated ‘for the sack instead’.

‘In other news the NSPCC (The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) has nominated Prince Andrew as the royal family member of the year…’ Peter Morgan quipped.

@Jibson12341 joked: ‘In other news, Kim Jong-Un’s been nominated for president of the year!’

Others simply couldn’t believe the nomination.

‘I honestly thought [that] was a parody account,’ Bob wrote.

@badgermelinda posted: ‘Think I need a quick eye test at Barnard Castle. My eyes are deceiving me. Or is it a typo?’

Paul Bernal thought it was joke, writing: ‘I love the British sense of humour.’

Claire Hazelgrove pointed out: ‘I suppose he likely has done quite a lot to engage young people in democracy…’