Sir Peter Soulsby and Leicester's children's services: Deputy heads must roll

One was a tyrant under whose reign no child was safe. The other was a much-loved monarch
tragically slain... You can see where this is going.

From BBC News:

A former children's services boss has been sacked after a "botched review" caused the department to "fall apart". 

Vulnerable youngsters in Leicester were left at risk after half its front line children's social workers quit during the review, the city's mayor said. 

Sir Peter Soulsby said there was a "complete failure" to inform the council's leaders about the crisis. Former head of department Elaine McHale has been dismissed, while assistant mayor Vi Dempster has stood down.

I have considerable sympathy for the words of Ross Grant, the only Conservative member of the city council, as quoted by the Leicester Mercury:

"The fact there is a damning Ofsted report is extremely worrying, but it raises lots of questions about how the city mayor runs our city, and whether he is the right person to try and fix the problems. ... 

"It is incredible that he claims he was not aware of these problems and that they were hidden from him. 

"It was well known that there were problems in children's social care. 

"There were changes in senior staff in the department last year. ... 

"The sackings are part of a pattern where the city mayor, far from taking responsibility for failings in his administration, claims he alone is the person who can fix things."

And once again we find that a Labour one-party state and poor services for children go hand in hand.