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'Whitewash' protests as Baby P councillors hang on to their jobs
Benedict Moore-Bridger25.11.08
TWO heavily criticised Haringey councillors involved in the Baby P scandal have survived attempts to remove them from office.
Council leader George Meehan and Liz Santry, the Cabinet member for Children and Young People, kept their jobs despite attempts to hold a vote of no confidence at a highly charged meeting last night.
Opposition councillors branded the meeting "a whitewash" after the majority Labour group passed an amendment to prevent the vote from taking place.
Members of the public also heckled the ruling Labour group, branding them "murderers", during the tense, three-hour meeting.
Liberal Democrat leader Robert Gorrie had called for a vote of no confidence in the pair, urging them to resign to restore public confidence in Haringey council.
But the Labour group by-passed the vote, instead pledging to act on recommendations of a government review into children's services in the borough. Mr Gorrie called the outcome "a travesty" and said the council was failing to admit its responsibility in Baby P's death.
He said: "How can there be a restored confidence, how can we rebuild Haringey's shattered reputation if the same people remain in charge? It is a travesty. We are back where we were in 2003 following the Victoria Climbie tragedy - it is a whitewash.
"People right across the county will share our dismay and disgust that the people running Haringey council will not take responsibility for this tragedy."
Some Labour members are believed to have been furious at their leadership for failing to apologise quickly enough following Baby P's death.
A council source said: "Some are angry with their leadership. What happened in the vote was expected. But it's disgusting."
Earlier in the meeting Ms Santry apologised for the council's response.
She said: "I do wish we had apologised earlier. I should like to offer my personal apologies and condolences to Baby P's father. Our duty is to protect our children and this we failed to do."
But she resisted calls for a public inquiry, saying it would delay implementing the changes to improve Haringey's children's services.
The meeting was constantly interrupted by heckling. Some protesters shouted "Shame on Haringey" as they stormed out of the gallery in disgust.
One Liberal Democrat councillor, John Oakes, said the borough's social services had a historic habit of not cooperating with police.
He said: "A notice appeared in a social services office in this borough saying, 'This office does not talk to police.' That principle is still alive and well in Haringey today."
Matt Cooke, chairman of Haringey Labour group, said Ms Santry could still resign.
"We will do what it takes to restore public confidence. The public demands accountability for what has happened and that is absolutely right," he said.
Baby P died in August last year despite 60 visits from the authorities over eight months, during which he suffered more than 50 injuries.
Reader views (25)
Why can't Baby P be named? After all it can't be to protect him. And his mother doesn't deserve protection.
- Suzyd, Paris
Do these cretins really think they can win their seats in the next local elections. The decent thing would be for them to step down. Councillers can't be sacked as they are not employed but get paid expenses. They are there to represent the public and oversee that the council is performing correctly. This is why we elect them at local elections and can quite easily vote them out. I hope the people of Haringy make a stand to get rid of them.
- Triffidqueen, Desk in London
Absolutely appalling!
This is a classic case of "circle the wagons" involving the Pontius Pilate council clones.
How soon until the next election? Hopefully, this terrible crime will still be vivid in the minds of the electorate and the self-serving clowns can be sent to obscurity.
- Joseph M., Nova Scotia Canada
why have they not been sacked? i want to know the reasoning behind that decision. it is a disgrace that they are keeping their jobs when baby p was failed by them in the worst imaginable way - and what about the children we don't know about. if they fail one so dismally, there is no doubt in my mind they have failed many, many others. negligence at this level should be rooted out if the department has any hope to get better. there is no justice.
- Karen, scotland
Well done those members of the public who protested. More of us should make our feelings felt in this way, perhaps then we would be listened to as a country, a nation.
- Wen, Oxford, England
This is just the sort of typically shameful "looking after one's own" strategy that is all too common among councillors elected supposedly to protect the peoples interests. This is one of the many reasons fewer and fewer people are bothering to vote for these self-centred cronies.
- Carl, London
Sadly, this does not come as a surprise at all. All the workers who let this baby down are as culpable as the perpetrators of the abuse that led to Baby P's death. They expect us to forget and let it blow over. Nothing will change with the system set up as it is. We need change and we need it now, clearly, no lessons have been learned from the past. David, I'd be willing to participate in a peaceful march to Downing Street.
- Sharon, London
I hope George Meehan and Liz Santry sleep soundly in their beds each night knowing that they have the blood of baby 'P' on their hands. God help any other at risk children in the Haringey catchment area, with these two at the helm one can only wait for the next one to happen. It makes my blood boil that once again this has happened under the charge of George Meehan.
- Lynn, Benfleet, Essex
Unfortunately this is another case of public servants not being held accountable for their actions or lack of. This is a culture promoted by the current labour government ever since it came to power under Tony Blaire. There have been numerous cases of labour politicians and followers allowed to retain their positions when they should have had the decency to resign. On the odd occasion when public pressure has forced sackings, the culprits are given lucrative positions and then invited back again. Bring back; respect, honour, accountability and responsibilty.
- Bairner, Bracknell Berkshire
This is dam right disgusting, anybody involved in this case should be removed none of them did there jobs properly, the poor little baby was beaten to death and not one of these people noticed it, I feel sick at the thought of any of these people still working there, how can they even get up in a morning noing what has happened to this little boy because of them, people get there children taken of them for the smallest reason but in this case the little boy was in and out of hospital, social workers round at there house all the time, what was they doing while they was there drinking tea. I didnt even know this little baby and I cant stop feeling the hurt. they get 14 years prison sentance , what is 14 years to a life of cruelty to a baby . The hole world is wrong today. Sack them all , they should be ashamed
- Catherine Bennett, balckburn, lancashire
Spot the difference. The Radio 2 controller and several others do the decent thing and resign over a prank phone call by Russell Brand. And yet for an infinitely worse outrage, not a single person in Haringey is ready to be held accountable. Shame on them all.
- Paul, Haringey, London
So the Labour council refused to allow a vote? What happened to Democracy? Proof, if proof were needed that this Government is run on the same lines as Stalin. Not only was this baby's rights taken from him,but our democratic rights to protest have been taken from us.
"Whitewash" is not a strong enough word to describe what this "gang" have done while all the time feeding from the public trough. Never mind resign ! Get out ! In Gods name get out now.
- David Wallace, Birmingham,UK
The Labour party doesn't understand resignation or dihonesty.You only have to look at Peter Mandelson to see that.
- Jamie, london
No suprise here then, a typical Labour stance to hell with you all were all Right Jack!
- Richard, London
Re: Sarah's Comment
Sarah, the easy thing to say is sue the parties involved. Why should the family of the little boy benefit financially from this tragedy? In fact, where were the rest of the family when this happened.
I think that the only way to oust these incompetent Councillors is through people power. I would suggest a march to Downing Street to protest about the care of Baby P and also the lack of responsibility subsequently shown.
Anybody else ready to march peacefully?
- David, London
I fear for any child in Haringey who is unfortunate enough to be in their 'care', it's scandalous that the Labour party in Haringey finds it easier to play politics and keep two of their own in their cushy high paid jobs than face up to the murder of an innocent child. Sickening absolutely sickening, these two incompetents should have been sacked along with all of the so called 'professionals' whose negligence caused such a hideous crime to reach such a dreadful and fatal end. The people of Haringey are also sorry bunch for putting up with this, have they no shame? These people and Shoesmith cannot be trusted when it comes to protecting vulnerable children in the care of Haringey and should be banned from having anything to do with children's services. Meehan is a disgrace and typical of the breed who now pass for politicians in this country determined to hang on to their overpaid jobs as long as they can instead of admitting their failures and resigning like any decent person would do.
- Ed, Hants
VOTE EVERYONE OUT AT THE NEXT ELECTION.
- Raymond Turnner, Elstree
And David Cameron was accused of playing politics. Well done Haringey Labour Group...you've achieved a whole new low. Who thought that might be possible.
- Md, London, UK
Despicable. The reason they clung onto their positions was as a result of a three-line party whip to prevent the no-confidence vote taking place. If that is what 'serving the people' entails then all those Labour Party councillors who voted along party lines should hang their heads in shame this morning, and every morning. To preside over complete and utter failure as Meehan has done and then scrape around desperately to save his skin is nothing short of disgusting. The only good thing that will result from this is to see the Labour Party wiped out of Haringey at the next council elections. Let them backslap each other now- their days are numbered and there won't be any recourse to three-line party whips to save their backsides. They'll be booted out of office, and not before time.
- Richard, Haringey, London, UK
Do they sleep at night?
- P I Staker, London
Lets try and view this in context.
It was the Mother & Boyfriend who killed Baby P. It was NOT the councillors. Yes the councillors failed in their duty of care and they should be reprimanded but for a bunched if crazed idiots to accuse the concillors of murder is no better then the actions of the true killers.
- Ben, Manchester
Well there you have it a clear cut case of watching each others backs.So social services do not talk to the police. So it's ok for crimes to be commited against children?
- Triffidqueen, Desk in London
Whilst our children are being killed, all in power are enjoying their pay packets and parties and we citizens have no way to bring these people to justices.
- Kartar Badsha, Southport, UK
The family of that little boy should sue everyone involved...mother and boyfriend etc as they will rot in hell but the "so" called people who are supposed to protect that poor innocent tot and they clearly didn't...no excuse for what happened there as it was in their face that poor tot was being tortured
- Sarah, London
This is a disgusting and shameful outcome. That these people have kept their jobs is a travesty. We need new people in charge, these people do not care, they can't even do the right thing and stand down. We can't have people that do not care in charge of childrens welfare. I dont know how they live with themselves, there should have been no question of them standing down, people have been sacked for less, this was a little tortured boy who they had seen time and time again, they left him there to live this life, i can't even imagine the horror, pain and lonliness, yet they can't do the right thing.
- Karen, Manchester, UK
