Look closer to home
On December 7, Labour MP Bridget Phillipson, commenting on the tragic death of baby Arthur, had the audacity to post on twitter the following comment: "For too long this Government has tolerated failing children's services, and a failure to protect vulnerable children."
This from a Labour MP representing a constituency in Labourcontrolled Sunderland; a
Labour council that had responsibility for children’s services stripped from it following failure after failure and a devastating Ofsted report into its mismanagement.
The Government then set up a body to run children’s services in the city and spent several millions funding it; operating under the banner of Together for Children.
Following this intervention things gradually improved and eventually Together for Children received a good report from Ofsted.
The Government's role in this was confirmed at November 2019’s council meeting, Labour's Cllr Williams said that the council had no role in Together for Children other than to pay the bills.
She added that it was the Conservative Children’s Minister who was in charge and that he had more say than her.
Perhaps the Labour MP could view recording of the meeting.
In years leading up to the collapse, children had died in the care of Sunderland Council; Ofsted said children were not properly safeguarded, and in one report Ofsted said that children in Sunderland were at risk of radicalisation.
Problems were identified in the 1990s and continued until the service ran by the council collapsed and was put into special measures in 2016; the service was then rescued by the Conservative Government.
Former Labour MP, Hilton Dawson, pointed out that in 2015 Ofsted stated there was in Sunderland “widespread and serious failures that leave children unsafe”. He went on to say Sunderland's Labour Council had responsibility for “corporate parenting”.
When Conservative councillors raised concerns in council, they were accused of making political gain out of vulnerable children.
All this on Labour’s watch: perhaps Bridget Phillipson should look closer to home.
Alan Wright, High Barnes.
“Many families
are now at breaking point,
struggling to afford basics.”