Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary, following Michael Gove’s apology to David Cameron over his row with Theresa May and the resignation of her closest adviser, said:

“This week has highlighted the chaos at the heart of the Government’s efforts to tackle extremism and the damage done to the Prevent programme by the Home Secretary’s and Education Secretary’s inability to work together.

"The prime minister asked the Cabinet Secretary to investigate and to resolve this dispute however many questions remain unanswered. Theresa May’s closest adviser has resigned for inappropriate release of ministerial correspondence yet the letter to the Education Secretary was signed and sent by the Home secretary on the same day it was leaked to newspapers. Was this letter written in order to be leaked and did the Home Secretary authorise its inappropriate release?

“More importantly the Government now needs to ensure that all departments are working together on an agreed joint strategy to work with communities on preventing extremism.

"Tackling extremism is vitally important and departments should be working together to combat it - what is clear is that hasn’t been happening as two Cabinet Ministers instead waged a briefing war. The parents, pupils and people of Birmingham and the whole country deserve better than that.”