Haringey ‘Baby P’ Members Survive No Confidence Motion

The leader and cabinet member for children at Haringey have both survived an attempt to oust them. Cllrs George Meehan and Liz Santry will remain in thier posts after Lib Dem members tabled a motion of no confidence in the pair.

They were saved at the full council meeting by fellow Labour councillors who, under a three line whip,  voted to remove the no confidence motion and inserted a requirement for the council to act on the government review of Haringey’s childrens services instead.

The motion had stated: ‘This council has no confidence in the leader of the council and the cabinet member for children and young people.

‘Furthermore, (this council) calls for a fully independent public inquiry into this case and the state of children’s services in Haringey in order that the residents of Haringey can have complete confidence in the protection of the most vulnerable members of our society.’

Following the meeting, which was the first of the full council since the conclusion of the Baby P court case, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Robert Gorrie, said: ‘People right across the county will share our dismay and disgust that the people running Haringey Council will not take responsibility for this tragedy.

‘How can we rebuild Haringey’s shattered reputation if the same people remain in charge?’

‘This case won’t go away, as opposition on the council we will not let it go away,’ he said.