Education secretary Gavin Williamson has claimed today that he could not remember the results of his own A levels as he congratulated students for their results.

As hundreds of thousands of students received their A-level grades, Mr Williamson vividly recalled the day 27 years ago when he received his results, during a radio interview this morning.

But pressed on what they actually were, he insisted that his memory had failed him, although he acknowledged he did not get top marks.

“I didn’t get three A*s, it’s fair to say,” he said when questioned by LBC’s Nick Ferrari.

“I have forgotten, it is so long ago. It is 27 years ago.

“You probably can’t remember what was happening last weekend.”

This was the moment Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ‘forgot’ his A-level results just seconds after he vividly recalled the day 27 years ago when he received his results.@NickFerrariLBC | Read more: https://t.co/Nrhx9DZ8IP pic.twitter.com/yjWEqDtNZA

- LBC (@LBC) August 10, 2021

Earlier, however, Mr Williamson recounted how he went to his sixth-form college in Scarborough to pick up the envelope with his grades.

He recalled his “absolute delight” when he saw the results and realised ”all my dreams of doing social science at Bradford University” had been achieved.

“For a lad growing up in Scarborough, Bradford was the most exotic and exciting place in the whole world,” he said.

“It opened up the pathway to those next steps and I was absolutely delighted.”

Mr Williamson has also said today that a “glide path back to a more normal state of affairs” for A levels will be needed, as top results rose to a record high.

Speaking this morning before the results were officially announced, Mr Williamson defended an increase in the proportion of higher grades, describing an “exceptional year” and saying students have worked “incredibly hard” and the results should be “celebrated”.