Culture Minister and Tottenham MP David Lammy spectacularly missed the point about the Baby P scandal in his interview with Radio 4's The World At One this lunch time. He was among the Ministers warned by former Haringey social worker Nevres Kemal last year who warned of flaws in the way the Department was operating. "The Council rebutted powerfully the allegations this social worker made," says Lammy.
That was evidently good enough for him. As the local MP, with all the evidence that you would have thought he would have been made aware of, he was satisfied with the Children's Services Department. Even now he offers not a word of contrition. He says resignations should only take place "if" there were systemic failures.
"It is quite possible that social workers will not want to work in Haringey," he says blaming the media. If he really wants good social workers to apply for jobs in Haringey then he should recognise the need for a dramatic change of direction for the Department - under new management.
