Southport MP Calls for Resignations of Labour Councillors Mhairi Doyle and Ian Maher Over Inadequate Children's Services

Damien Moore, local Member of Parliament for Southport, is calling for the resignations of Labour Councillors Mhairi Doyle and Ian Maher for their role in overseeing the continued Ofsted-rated “inadequate” children’s services in Labour-run Sefton. Mr. Moore has also written to the Government-appointed commissioner and the Minister for Children, Families, and Wellbeing, to add his support to calls for children’s services to be taken away from Labour.

Yesterday, Ofsted released their latest update on the state of children’s services in Sefton, outlining that there has been “insufficient progress in improving the response to children in need of help and protection”, and that “[t]he pace of improvement is too slow and most practice weaknesses…remain today”.

This comes despite the release almost a year ago of an Ofsted report slamming the Labour Council’s children’s services as “inadequate” in every category, the lowest attenable rating. The Education Secretary subsequently appointed two commissioners to determine whether Labour’s Sefton Council should be allowed to remain in control of children’s services, despite their gross failings.

Mr. Moore has repeatedly called in Parliament for greater accountability of local Labour politicians’ repeated failings, and has met repeatedly with the Children’s Minister, commissioners, and many of his concerned constituents, to fight against the ongoing tragedy within Southport’s children’s services.

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, said: 

“It is simply unacceptable that Sefton Council continues to fail to give Southport’s children the support they need. The Council stand on the brink of another local tragedy, and as Southport’s local MP, I simply cannot stand by and watch that happen.

“That is why I have written to the commissioner and the Minister for Children, Families, and Wellbeing, to add my voice to the growing calls to take the responsibility for Southport’s children away from those who continue to fail to give them the support they deserve.

“Our town’s children only get one start in life, and it is a disgrace that Labour councillors think continued failure is acceptable. I urge my constituents to use their vote in May’s local elections to show our town’s children that Southport will not stand by idly while its children are failed by the Council.”