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The debate sparked off by the Baby P case has been predictable and revealing. Of course, we are rightly shocked at the evidence of the utterly horrific abuse of the child, and concerned at the failure of the child protection system in Haringey to intervene effectively. But other characteristics of the debate are, frankly, troubling to those who care about local government. First was the rush to judgment before the evidence of the investigation was fully available. Child protection processes are necessarily complex, generally involving a range of agencies, and the need to assess often-conflicting evidence from different parties. A thorough appraisal of how the various agencies approached the case is fundamental to understanding where and why the system failed, and what steps are necessary to prevent the same mistakes being made again. This is almost impossible in an atmosphere where the media and leading politicians are baying for instant condemnation or retribution. Many politicians I have spoken to about this agree that the witch-hunt which rapidly developed, once the circumstances surrounding Baby P's death were revealed, was regrettable, and has generated unfortunate consequences. Not the least of these was the apparent rapid increase in the number of applications to take children into care, as social workers and paediatricians worried about the consequences if they were perceived to have failed to take action in a case where there was a suspicion of abuse. This will almost inevitably lead to mistakes being made in the other direction, with children being forcibly removed from loving and unthreatening, if not wholly adequate parents, and their lives being damaged in consequence. Nor is this the only negative outcome of the process. As LGA chair, Margaret Eaton, rightly pointed out last week, this witch-hunt atmosphere will inevitably make it harder for local authorities to recruit and retain the professional staff necessary to run a really effective child protection service. So, the effect of the media feeding frenzy will be exactly opposite from the claimed intentions of the newspaper editors and politicians leading the chase. Far from helping improve the performance of child protection services and make it less likely that similar mistakes will be made, they are contributing to undermining the confidence and morale of the very people on whom society depends to fulfil these responsibilities. There are also worrying implications for the localist cause. As soon as Tory leader, David Cameron, rose in the House of Commons to attack the prime minister on the Baby P case, it was only too clear that his party's commitment to devolution was only skin deep. Calling on Gordon Brown to ‘take over this failing department' won him media plaudits, but does nothing to clarify the respective roles of central and local government, let alone roll back the centralist tide which he claims to be in favour of doing. Until national politicians are prepared to apply a self-denying ordinance to matters which are the responsibility of local authorities, localism will remain a subject talked about rather than implemented. This is not to say politicians at Westminster can simply wash their hands over such cases. As I have frequently pointed out, we live on a small island with a strong commitment to the maintenance of standards in all areas. That is why the phrase ‘postcode lottery' has such resonance, and is so frequently used to condemn what are seen as unacceptable variations between different parts of the country. But the correct government response must be to ensure that robust systems are in place to monitor standards and drive improvements, with government intervention only coming as a last resort. At the same time, politicians should avoid implying, let alone conveying the message that central government is responsible for everything that happens in the country and must itself step in immediately to sort out problems even when these are clearly the responsibility of local authorities. We still have a long way to go to get even near that position. Nick Raynsford is former local government minister

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WHITEHALL

Social care on thin ice

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