Medway Labour & Co-operative Group have called on Leader of the Council Alan Jarrett (Con) to resign if responsibility for children’s services is taken away from Medway Council.

Children’s Services have been jeopardised by dangerously substandard leadership within the administration, which led to a recent ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted report – the lowest possible rating. As a result, a government Commissioner will now assess whether Medway is capable of retaining the service, with the potential for the service to be taken over by another local authority.

Cllr Clive Johnson, Medway Labour & Co-operative Spokesperson for Children and Young People said, ‘This shocking Ofsted judgement comes at the end of a string of failures by this morally bankrupt Conservative administration.

‘Three poor judgements on Children’s Services in six years along with a disastrous catalogue of ineptitude in inspections and reports, leave the fate of Medway’s Children’s Services in doubt.

‘The Leader of the Council proudly boasts that his administration has run Medway for sixteen years.  In that case, he should take responsibility for its failures. We have put him on notice: if Medway loses control of its Children’s Services then he should take responsibility for that and do the honourable thing and resign.’

Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Labour & Co-operative Group said, ‘As the main opposition group we are clear the Ofsted report on Children’s Services was totally unacceptable.

‘We see nearby West Sussex County Council in a similar position. It is reported they will be losing Children’s Services and as a result the Leader of the Council, Louise Goldsmith, has done the honourable thing and resign.

‘We want our council to urgently improve the service, but if the commissioner recommends that Medway Council is stripped of running the services then the Leader of the Council continuing is untenable and he should resign.’