UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson condemned the Conservative’s plan for a new grooming inquiry, arguing it would kill child safety legislation.
Bridget Phillipson slammed the opposition’s proposal to change the Children’s Wellbeing Bill on Wednesday. She described it as the “single biggest piece of children safeguarding legislation in a generation” and warned it would “kill it stone dead.”
A seven-year-long independent review, led by Prof Alexis Jay, completed in 2022, the Tory party has backed Elon Musk’s call for another nationwide Britain inquiry into child sexual exploitation.
Although none of the past inquiry’s recommendations have been implemented, British PM Keir Starmer has pledged to address them without initiating a new investigation. Jay, who led the original inquiry, supports this, saying there’s no need for another long inquiry into grooming gangs.
Ms. Phillipson spoke on Times Radio, saying,
“They come today as we introduce legislation to protect the very children they claim to care about, yet they intend to block it and kill it stone dead. It is absolutely sickening.”
She confirmed that they are examining the essential suggestions given by Prof Jay in her report.
The education secretary said,
“That’s why today we are setting out legislation that addresses many of the wider challenges that we see right across our system. It’s why the home secretary announced in the House of Commons the action that we are taking.”
She stressed that they are acting quickly to protect children and asked why the Conservatives are trying to block the child protection bill.
Labour’s majority makes it unlikely the amendment will pass. But if it does, it could delay the bill’s progress on enhancing child protection.
If passed, the bill will eliminate parent’s right to take their children from school for home education when the child is under a protection investigation or is suspected to be at serious risk.
Phillipson spoke out as Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, added her voice to the debate on grooming gangs and child violence, urging for quick government response and supporting any further inquiries if new proofs comes to light.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Sir Keir Starmer warned Conservative MPs not to support the amendment to the bill, calling it a “shocking tactic.”
The Liberal Democrats, led by Ed Davey, revealed they would propose their own amendment to the bill, urging for complete adoption of the Ms Jay report’s suggestions.
What is included in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill?
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes compulsory registers for non-school children, which all councils must maintain. The bill also calls for the introduction of a unique identification number for each child, similar to the national insurance number for adults.
The proposed legislation states that parents will no longer have the right to withdraw their children from school for home education if the child is under investigation for child protection and believed to be in significant harm.
Under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, local councils would have the power to require school attendance if they assess a child’s home environment as inadequate or unsafe.
The legislation ensures that all teachers will fall under a consistent pay and conditions system, whether they are employed at a local authority-run school or an academy,
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have argued that the new bill, when implemented, could undermine the benefits and pay of tens of thousands of teachers in academies that exceed national pay scales.
Laura Trott, the Shadow Education Secretary, criticized Labour’s approach as “educational vandalism,” raising concerns that academies could lose the freedoms needed to recruit teachers and improve student results in difficult areas.
The Department for Education stated that no teacher’s pay would be reduced and stressed that the legislation would ensure every child has access to “expert teachers.”