Assailed minister faces two o’clock showdown
Assailed Minister for Children Margaret Hodge is believed to have received the backing of the Prime Minister yesterday after she was invited to No 10 for in-depth discussions on the forthcoming children’s green paper.
Mrs Hodge was threatened with a libel suit after she described Demetrious Panton, a child abuse victim, now working with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott as “extremely disturbed.”
Mr Panton was in care when Mrs Hodge was leader of Islington Borough Council during the 1980s.
Mr Panton’s lawyer, Korieh Duodo, yesterday gave Mrs Hodge until 16:30GMT to forward the letter in which the controversial comments were made. A new deadline was set for 14:00GMT today.
If she fails to respond, legal action may ensue.
Mrs Hodge made her remarks in a letter to Gavyn Davies, the BBC chairman of governors, where she criticised the BBC for an alleged “concerted campaign” to unearth the history of her management of social services while in charge of the council.
Children’s charity Kidscape has called on the minister to apologise, stating it was simply “unacceptable” to attack the child abuse victim.
Michelle Elliott of Kidscape said: “It shows a total disregard for the suffering this person has been through.”
But Commons Leader Peter Hain said Mrs Hodge had helped put together “the most rigorous and radical policy protecting children’s rights ever from any government in this country”.
According to press reports, Mrs Hodge has privately admitted she is ready to resign if she is sued.
