Inquiry panel:
Quote:
Darra Singh, the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus and former chief executive of Ealing and Luton councils, will chair the panel, which will also include Simon Marcus, the founder of the Boxing Academy in London, Baroness Sherlock, previously chief executive of the National Council for One Parent Families, and Heather Rabbatts, a former barrister.
Rabbatts went on to become Britain's youngest ever chief executive of a council, Lambeth, and then to senior positions in organisations as diverse as the Bank of England, the Royal Opera House and Millwall Football club.
Rabbatts seems like a serious individual but she's a funny choice really. Singh has her local authority experience. I'm surprised there isn't a senior police officer there. I don't think they can arrest their way out of the problem or anything, but surely gangs and whatever will involve nicking a few people. And of course, it was a "dubious" police shooting that kicked it all off.
The other two nominees suggest we're going to get a lot of "these one parent families, eh?" and "give this charity some money". Someone will be needed on there to ask charities difficult questions, because loads of them will be sensing a windfall. Maybe Singh (and, to be fair, Rabbatts) will be able to do this.
And why not sociologists? People who study social problems professionally (without vested interest)- crazy idea having them somewhere, eh?