Council leadership change

2:27pm Wednesday 10th December 2008

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A shake-up of Haringey Council was complete today with the election of a new council leader and cabinet member.

Former chief whip and seven sisters ward councillor Claire Kober took the helm last night in an attempt to give the borough a fresh start after the death of Baby P.

After just two years as a councillor the 30-year-old was elected by a majority of 30 votes to 21, along party lines.

Former deputy leader Lorna Reith stepped into the role of cabinet member for children and young people with the same majority.

The elections came this week as the council sacked its £100,000-a-year director of children’s services Sharon Shoesmith and refused to give her a pay-off.

Neither of the councillors answered questions about Baby P or Ms Shoesmith at Tuesday night’s emergency meeting of the full council.

Instead in a written statement Ms Kober said: "My immediate priority is to ensure that robust arrangements are in place to safeguard children across our borough.

"I will introduce whatever changes are necessary to enable this council to regain the confidence of our local residents."

However liberal democrat leader Robert Gorrie, who also stood for council leader, said: "Councillor Kober is not the change Haringey so badly needs.

"Only last week she blocked attempts to hold councillors Meehan and Santry accountable for failures and her first act as new leader has been to prevent discussion into the damning report into the Council's failure to protect Baby P at last night's Council meeting.

"People want to see real change - not promotions for those who helped Haringey become Britain's most notorious local authority."

Ms Reith, ward councillor for Tottenham Hale and former deputy leader, said: "We have taken full responsibility for all the failings in our child protection service.

"I welcome the appointment by the government of an interim director of children's services.

"As the incoming cabinet member for children and young people I will be working with him to ensure we make all the improvements necessary for child protection in Haringey."

The elections took place last night after the public resignations of leader George Meehan and cabinet member Liz Santry last Monday.

But after a clear-out at the top, fresh details have emerged of two other children suspected of being abused in the borough.

Police confirmed this week they are investigating claims of abuse against a boy known only as Child C, believed to be a five-year-old boy, who was in foster care in Haringey at the time of the allegation.

Child C was brought under Haringey's care in 2004 after a High Court order removing him from people claiming to be his parents.

Police are investigating an allegation the child was abused while with a foster carer approved by social services in 2006.

However another independent internal investigation is underway at Haringey into another abuse case.

The council confirmed a serious case review is being carried out by its new interim director of social services, into the actions of agencies involved in this case.

It assured this child was not linked to Baby P but could not give further details.