Scottish Government cracking under pressure

UK (SANEPR.com) February 25, 2009 -- Please note the date and time for the demonstration is for Wednesday
4th March 11am, in George Square Glasgow City Centre.

As the Grandparents Apart UK campaign,* http://gapukinfo.blogspot.com/ * challenging
The policies of government and social services in relation to children hots up,
the Scottish Government appears to be cracking under the pressure.

Adam Ingram the Minister for children sent a reply to a letter received by us through the late MSP Bashir Ahmads office, offloading responsibility for ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ onto local authorities saying that the protection for children is their remit. This may be true, but we say The Charter for Grandchildren is the government’s responsibility. The Charter was created by the Scottish Government with input from us and other family groups as a guide to best practice and what is generally in the best interest of children.

While governments pay lip service to the view that contact with grandparents is generally in the best interest and protection of children, it was debated in the Scottish Parliament and voted down, when all the labour MSPs were ordered to vote against contact being backed by law. The Charter was created by the Scottish Government and despite reassurances from them and our group promoting it in a tour of Scotland they claimed professionals would be guided by it, it now appears The Charter is being ignored and needs to be made mandatory for professionals to honour it.

Passing the buck to local authorities demeans the name of the Honourable Gentlemen. This conveys to all that the Government are not really interested in the welfare of children or their grandparents or extended family. This insulting lack of respect could well cost them ‘grey votes’ at the next election.

We listened to the then government when they said if grandparents had legal rights to their grandchildren it would mean they had more rights than fathers. They failed to point out the rights fathers do have were seldom upheld.

We revised our proposals to forego individual rights for grandparents in an effort to encourage them to make The Charter for Grandchildren stronger. A sacrificial setback by us in our fight for our children to have the best possible protection grandparents can offer without compromising parental rights. We understand and acknowledge parents always come first. Grandparents only want to be part of the child’s life and become involved if the parents cannot care for them, rather than children being adopted by strangers. This very strong emotion is driving our demonstration.

This may be our last chance to speak out as the UK government plans to stop people telling of their disastrous encounters with social services and gagging children in care. Why? It can only be that, they want to hide their incompetence from public eyes. This must not happen! http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/justice-ministry-to-bar-parents-from-telling-their-own-stories-1622154.html

On reading of our demonstration, an email response from abroad says “what is wrong with you British people that you allow a government to get away with this”, It is time we told them, and the time is now! or we will be gagged forever. Tell them what we want and what our children need.

Jimmy Deuchars
(Manager)


Grandparents Apart UK is non-profit staffed by volunteers Charity.