Residents deserve answers. This week, we intend to get them.
Trafford Conservatives have called two extraordinary meetings following the damning Ofsted findings on Children’s Services.
TUESDAY - Special Children & Young People’s Scrutiny Meeting
We raised concerns time and again at Scrutiny.
So why wasn’t anyone listening? Why weren’t the warning signs acted upon? And why was the situation allowed to deteriorate?
Trafford Labour has been here before.
Children’s Services were previously judged "Inadequate" 2019 when Andrew Western was in charge. They improved sufficiently to move out of that position in 2022. Now they have slipped back to "Inadequate again" in 2026.
And throughout this period, Labour has been running Trafford Council.
WEDNESDAY - Extraordinary Council Meeting
This is where we expect accountability.
Since the Ofsted report, residents and families have contacted us with their own accounts of where they believe the Labour-run council has failed them and their children.
Behind every statistic is a child.
Behind every finding is a family.
We want answers:
Who knew what?
When did they know it?
Why wasn’t action taken sooner?
Why weren’t lessons learned?
And who takes responsibility?
Responsibility cannot simply be passed down to officers.
Political leadership means taking responsibility when things go badly wrong, not just taking the credit when things go well.
Tom Ross has led Trafford Council since 2022 and prior to that was the Exec Member for Finance.
Children’s Services have now fallen back to "Inadequate" on his watch.
So residents are entitled to ask:
At what point does Tom Ross take responsibility?
And if the Leader of the Council cannot accept responsibility for a failure of this seriousness, residents are entitled to question whether he should remain Leader at all. See less