
This week I voted FOR the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It’s a Bill that strengthens child protection laws. By contrast, the Tories and Reform voted to kill it as a political stunt. The amendment put forward by the opposition wasn’t a vote for a further enquiry into the grooming gangs that targeted young girls in towns and cities across England. It was an amendment to kill the entire Bill, and to stop it becoming law.
If they would have achieved this, it would have stopped extra protections that could have saved children like Sara Sharif from being murdered by her abusive parents – as well as a whole range of other greater protections for vulnerable children. It’s the single biggest piece of legislation to protect children in a generation.
What else hasn’t been mentioned this week? The fact that this new law will make it a legal right for every child of a primary school age to access a breakfast club. And limit the number of branded items schools can require as part of their uniform – which are costly for so many families. I campaigned for this as a candidate, and I'm proud of this.
So did I vote against another enquiry? No. Other parties voted against action to protect vulnerable children.
And I can’t believe that I now have to write these words: It is shameful to try and turn the sexual abuse of children into political gameplay.
Not a single one of the recommendations of the 10-year Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was implemented by the last Government. That report made 20 recommendations, and it highlighted that the abuse was often covered up by institutions that "prioritised their reputations above the welfare of those they were duty bound to protect". It is critical that we now implement the recommendations of that report, and without delay.
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