By©Muhammad Haque
2125 GMT
London Wednesday 12 November 2008

Wednesday's [weekly] Prime Minister's Questions [PMQs] at Westminster, fielded by Gordon Brown on the day of the latest jobless and economic bad news, got focussed on Brown’s refusal to show that he was disowning a negligent local Council disaster...This became very acute after David Ca-Moron had successfully included the reference to £100 Million that the public spends to keep the social service unit at Haringey in place.


What Brown showed instead was the classic lack of transparency; and democratic. Especially when it comes to the Blaired local councils. Each and every single p[person that has had any contact with any of these councils anywhere in England and Wales [ and with their counterparts in Scotland] will know that democracy, transparency and humility are not among the list of their ‘services’. Not at least at the top of their lists. If these are at all included in their lists... yet at a time like today, the day after one set of court cases ended aBOUT THE TRAGEDY OF THE CHILD, there should have been a straightforward expression of credible and humane regret and apology for the entire collection of careerists that are to blame for this known and identified instance.…Yet that was not forthcoming. Instead there had to be an almighty battle staged in the Commons before Brown’s administration was able to release contrition that should have been forthcoming 24 hours earlier... What this shows is that ordinary people who really need the services and support of their local councils are not any better off now than they were before... This is worrying for all of society....Brown lost a most historic opportunity in the Commons today by his obduracy, so tragically mis-exhibited, and by his refusal to show that holders of places and ‘powers’ in the name of the public are morally, ethically and demonstrably bound to show remorse and accountability on a matter that is typified and dare I say it, made unforgettable by Haringey’s negligent treatment of Child P.… …..