Norman Lamb's Greville Janner problem

Simon Danczuk - Labour MP for Rochdale - is a typical northern Labour tribalist who can see no good in his political opponents.  However he has worked tirelessly to uncover allegations of child sexual abuse in high places - even though the alleged perpetrators are dead in the case of Cyril Smith or demented in the case of Greville Janner. 

But earlier this week he claimed that Janner had sexually assualted boys in the Palace of Westminster in the 1980s.

Now whether this timing is deliberate or not, it does mean that Lib Dem Leadership candidate Norman Lamb will be asked what he knew given he was, bizarrely, Janner's research assistant for a year at the time the abuse was alleged to have taken place in Westminster.

There is, of course, no suggestion Lamb was involved, but given David Steel is still quizzed about what he knew about Smith's alleged activities, Lamb if he wins won't be able to ignore similar probing..

Former Kingston council leader pleads guilty to child porn charges

At Southwark Crown Court today, Derek Osbourne - former Lib Dem leader of Kingston Council - pleaded guilty to 17 charges of making and possessing indecent images of children.  He had in total more than 5,000 images - some involving children as young as three.

The Surrey Comet reports that he faces up to five years in jail.

Former Kingston Lib Dem leader charged with possessing 'thousands' of child porn images

The Surrey Comet reports former Lib Dem Leader of Kingston Council has been charged with possession of 'thousands' of images of child pornography - including 50 at the highest level 5 and more than 150 of bestiality.

If found guilty at Southwark Crown Court later this month he is likely to face a custodial sentence of years rather than months.

Social work death cover up threatens senior Kingston Lib Dem councillors

Kingston council's child protection department has been the subject of various enquiries since serious failings were uncovered by OFSTED last year.  This latest report from the BBC suggests that social work managers engaged in a deliberate cover up following the murder of Charito Cruz in 2011 - despite her circumstances having been repeatedly reported to the council.

So far Cllr Trish Bamford, Lead Member for Children and Young People, has resisted opposition calls for her resignation, as has council leader Derek Osbourne.  But the news of the timing of the former director's departure (plus the obligatory six figure golden handshake) and the fact Lib Dem councillors are asking Kingston taxpayers to fork out even more council tax to 'protect services' will put more pressure on them.

People may be prepared to pay extra to safeguard children and vulnerable people.  But I can't imagine there being much enthusiasm for tax rises if the tax paying public simply see it ending up in the back pockets of incompetent council staff. 

Lib Dem councillors in Kingston will have to do a lot more to prove they have sorted out the mess in social services and explain exactly how the additional money they are asking residents to stump up will make a difference - particularly for those at risk.

Is Simon Danczuk deliberately smearing Cyril Smith?

Rochdale's abrasive Labour MP, Simon Danczuk has been pursuing allegations of child abuse by former Rochdale Liberal MP Cyril Smith.  Most recently at Wednesday's Prime Minister's questions.

These allegations (or at least some of them) are not new - Smith was investigated by the police in the early 70s (unlike Jimmy Savile) and the allegations were dismissed.  Now I'm not defending Smith if there is new evidence or the old police investigation turns out to be flawed and I hope anyone who does have information indicting Smith makes it available to the police.  But at the moment these allegations seem pretty thin on facts - however often Danczuk uses his parliamentary priviledge to raise them.

The thing is Danczuk is friends with disgraced former Labour MP, Phil Woolas - the man who invented damaging racist lies about his Lib Dem opponent.  Danczuk paid Woolas the following glowing tribute in his maiden speech...

"I also want to pay tribute to my hon. Friend Mr Woolas, who had Milnrow and New Hey within his constituency boundaries until general election day. He is an exceptionally good MP, and I consider him to be a good friend."

This close relationship with the crook Woolas makes me suspicious that Danczuk is simply using the Woolas playbook and the cover that parliamentary priviledge brings to smear his political rivals.  If so, then Labour will truly have scraped the bottom of a very dark barrel.

BMA and NSPCC wrong over cage fight boy

The beeb reports that both the BMA and NSPCC have criticised the organisers of a childrens' cage fight in the Greenlands Labour Club in Preston.

The fight involved no punching or kicking and was licensed by the relevant authorities.

Now far be it from me to say, but if the bout had involved karate, judo or some other middle class pursuit and was held at Preston Grammar School would it even have registered with either of these organisations?