Lambeth Council Held to Account Over 'One-Party State Mentality'

Anyone who has read any part of the Report on the abuse of children in the care of Lambeth Council will be disgusted and alarmed. The extreme abuse of defenceless children by paedophiles and sadists in Lambeth over decades is stomach-churning. Lives were devastated.

The question is not just how this sexual and physical abuse could happen, but how it could happen for decades.

The Inquiry has confirmed a historic culture of inward-looking incompetence at our Council, which developed in the 1980s into a politicised, far-Left Council culture of actively opposing mainstream values of scrutiny and good practice, and of turning a blind eye to underperforming staff because they appeared to be on the Labour councillor's side in the 'struggle' against the Government.

For the best part of 50 years under Labour control, there has never been any discussion or debate at Lambeth Council as to why this atrocity was allowed to happen, and to what extent, if at all, the political and administrative culture of the Council has moved on.

In 2016 OFSTED reported that the Children's Services Department at Lambeth Council was 'Inadequate' and putting children at risk. At the 2019 general election, the national Labour party proposed abolishing OFSTED.

On 2nd June 2021 I made a speech at a Full Council Meeting welcoming the new Leader of the Council Claire Holland. I said there were reasons why this atrocity happened in Lambeth, that the Council still has a 'one-party state' mentality, and that there needed to be deep and significant institutional reforms to get rid of that mentality, and instead, an institutionalisation of openness, honesty, integrity and accountability.

At the next meeting on 21st July 2021 the Labour councillors voted to exclude a summary of the speech from the minutes, showing a complete failure to take on board constructive criticism.

Recommendations

What happened was an abomination, and it must never happen again. On behalf of the Conservative Group in Lambeth I am recommending that the Constitution for Lambeth Council, which determined how the Council is run, incorporates the Nolan Principles into its procedures, as an 'Overriding Objective' which informs all decision-making by all councillors and council officers.

Councillors and council officers should be guided by the principles of Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership, so that every decision they take on behalf of residents is justified according to the Overriding Objective, rather than for their own political ideology, or convenience.

An Overriding Objective with these Nolan Principles on a statutory footing at the heart of a new council constitution would reshape local government culture in Lambeth by making all decisions accountable to these principles, and the interests of residents and children would never again be ignored with such appalling consequences.

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