With Michael Gove blundering over the publication of a list of school building projects now to be axed, he has been forced to make a public apology and faces the prospect of losing the support of colleagues if he does not act quickly.

In something of a u-turn, Gove has today said that the government will "continue to invest in school buildings" despite cancelling Labour's £55bn redevelopment programme. Writing in the Sunday Express, he also said ministers "hope to help people in all those areas who feel disappointed now" by the loss of rebuilding funds. More than 700 school revamps which had been scheduled will not go ahead.

The Education Secretary has come under pressure from some Conservative MPs, as well as the Labour opposition, over his decision to end BSF. Lib Dem minister Nick Harvey has also warned that the "credibility" of the coalition government was at risk if it failed to quickly set out alternative funding to fix "inadequate" buildings.

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