Neil 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

😡 Furious Maggie Oliver calls out Andy Burnham for sending lawyers to court to fight against implementing the child sexual abuse inquiry recommendations Maggie was on Sky News explaining that her charity is currently in the middle of a judicial review challenging the government’s failure to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). She described what they are hearing in court as horrific, disgusting and dismissive. Government lawyers have argued that the fact the IICSA recommendations have not been implemented has caused “no detriment to anybody.” Oliver challenged this directly, pointing to the false hope created by repeated promises. The government has responded that promises made in Parliament carry no legal obligation and are protected by parliamentary privilege. Her side is arguing that successive Prime Ministers and Home Secretaries have made the same promises outside Parliament as well. She noted that the government is also claiming it has no obligation to implement the inquiry’s recommendations at all. Oliver said this position horrifies her and makes her angry, and that she hopes shining a spotlight on the case will shame the government into action. She also addressed Andy Burnham’s recent comments about the David Walliams and Russell Brand cases, in which he said victims’ stories would bring change. Oliver pointed out that as Prime Minister he is now in the strongest possible position to act, yet his government is sending lawyers to court to argue against implementing the recommendations of a seven-year inquiry that gave thousands of survivors hope. She finished by saying the issue matters and makes her angry, that words will not bring change and they need to put their money where their mouth is and act.