'Baffling' foster ruling condemned

Nov 27 2012

A couple who had three foster children removed from their care because of their membership of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) say council leaders should consider resigning after they failed to apologise.

A statement on the controversy by under-fire Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council pledged full support to an inquiry ordered by Education Secretary Michael Gove, but the message from council leader Roger Stone offered no apology.

The South Yorkshire couple told the Daily Telegraph they felt "slandered and besmirched" after social workers took the ethnic minority children away.

"They should be considering their position," the husband told the newspaper.

"These are people on incredible salaries who are paid to make responsible decisions but they can't do it.

"It's completely baffling that they just can't put their hands up. They say this is a complex case but we don't agree. It's very simple."

The pair have not been identified to protect the trio of EU-migrant children involved in the case. They lost the youngsters when Rotherham Council social workers discovered their political allegiance, which they deemed incompatible with caring for the youngsters.

The foster couple, a qualified nursery nurse and a former Royal Navy reservist, said in an ideal world they would like the children back but their chances have been wrecked because they do not want to cause them any more upheaval. They spoke out after being told by the social worker that Ukip was a racist party.

The children, a baby girl, a boy and an older girl, were removed by social workers after the Labour-run council reportedly received an anonymous tip-off about the foster parents' membership of the right-wing party which wants withdrawal from the European Union and immigration curbs.

Social workers said they were concerned about the children's "cultural and ethnic needs".