Government Pledges Urgent Safeguards After Preston Davey Tragedy

KimLoan
June 26, 2026

Calls for a national inquiry and new legislation intensify as the Education Secretary promises action to prevent future child protection failures and address stalled school projects.

ducation in England has been thrust into the national spotlight in recent days, as the government grapples with calls for urgent reform following the tragic murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey and renewed pressure to deliver on delayed school rebuilding projects. On June 22, 2026, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stood before the House of Commons, pledging to do “everything within our power” to prevent another child from suffering the same fate as Preston. The toddler’s harrowing death at the hands of his adoptive father, former teacher Jamie Varley, and the subsequent conviction of Varley and his ex-partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, has shaken the nation and exposed deep flaws in the child safeguarding system.

According to The Blackpool Gazette, Preston’s story is one of repeated warning signs tragically ignored. In less than four months living with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley at their home in Staining Road, Staining, little Preston was subjected to “unremitting abuse,” including Sєxual ᴀssault, physical and emotional harm, and left with 40 non-accidental injuries. He was taken to hospital three times, and social workers visited regularly. Even more chilling, one of his abusers admitted to having “dark thoughts” about him, yet no intervention stopped the escalating abuse. In court, 37-year-old Varley was given a whole life sentence for murder, child cruelty, Sєxual offences, and indecent images relating to Preston, while 32-year-old McGowan-Fazakerley received 25 years for allowing the abuse and participating in the Sєxual ᴀssault.

Education Secretary Phillipson did not mince words in the Commons, stating, “I am glad that justice has been served. We can’t bring Preston back, but we can make sure that we do everything within our power to stop this happening to other children in future.” She described Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley as “evil abusers” and committed to rolling out new safeguards under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 by March 2027. This legislation, she emphasized, is an “urgent priority for this incoming Government”—a sentiment echoed in GB News coverage of the parliamentary session.

The demand for accountability has been fierce and sustained. The Blackpool Gazette and Lancashire Post, joined by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb and Preston’s birth parents Sarah Davey and Gary Nolan, are calling for a national inquiry into the safeguarding failures that cost Preston his life. Their peтιтion, тιтled “Preston Davey deserved better. Demand a national inquiry,” has resonated with the local community and beyond. Chris Webb, speaking with conviction, said, “The outpouring of support for a public inquiry into the tragic murder of Preston Davey has been overwhelming. Our local community and beyond feel strongly that the safeguarding failures surrounding Preston’s death must be investigated. We owe it to him and every vulnerable child in this country to establish exactly what went wrong and what must change to ensure this never happens again.”

Yet, the political landscape is shifting rapidly. Webb had planned to present the peтιтion directly to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, only to be interrupted by Starmer’s announcement that he would step down as Labour leader and Prime Minister. Undeterred, Webb vowed to continue the fight, promising to “take the fight for a public inquiry at the first possible opportunity.” The sense of urgency is palpable, as families, campaigners, and lawmakers alike seek answers to critical questions: Why were repeated warning signs—three hospital admissions, an abuser’s own admission of dark thoughts, routine social worker contact—not acted on? Should children placed outside their home authority automatically be ᴀssigned a local social worker with direct oversight? How are repeat hospital admissions for children in care shared between the NHS, the placing authority, and the authority where the child lives? Are adoption vetting procedures rigorous enough to prevent prospective adopters from hiding behind a false front?

Committee chairwoman Helen Hayes pressed ministers further, asking for a timetable for implementing “multi-agency child protection teams in every local authority area.” In response, Phillipson ᴀssured Parliament that a child safeguard practice review was commencing, led by the local safeguarding partnership in conjunction with the national child safeguarding practice review. “Our thoughts must be with all of those who loved and knew Preston,” she said. “The House can be ᴀssured that we take this extremely seriously, it is why I have asked for independent experts to look at Oldham Council, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the regional adoption agency to look carefully at all of the issues and concerns that have been raised through this process.”

Reform UK education spokeswoman Suella Braverman added her voice to the growing chorus, questioning, “Amongst the army of health visitors, social workers and medics who saw baby Preston – why did nobody raise the alarm? And what action is being taken now to safeguard the welfare of those children under the care of Oldham Council now?” Phillipson reiterated that updating legislation to keep children safe was “an urgent priority for this incoming Government.”

While the government faces scrutiny over safeguarding failures, another education issue is simmering in Shropshire, where the delayed £12.6 million rebuild of St Andrew’s CE Primary School in Shifnal has caused frustration among local leaders and parents. As reported by the Shropshire Star, Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, sought reᴀssurance from Phillipson that the project—first announced in 2023 and intended to be completed by Easter 2026—would finally proceed without further disruption. The new school, designed to replace a deteriorating 1960s building, will create 25 extra places and a 26-place nursery, critical for accommodating the town’s growing population. Most of the funding is expected from the Department for Education, but delays have raised concerns about the government’s commitment.

Pritchard pressed the issue in Parliament, stating, “Will the Secretary of State commit to ensuring that the funding is delivered, so that the school continues to offer the extra 25 places, as well as the 26-place nursery, that are part of the scheme? We have had false starts before, but this needs to be delivered, we need commitment from the Government.” Phillipson responded with a promise to investigate the matter personally and offered to arrange a ministerial meeting if needed. She emphasized the importance of ensuring “all the funds needed are committed, but also protected, so the scheme is fully delivered on time.” The project will proceed in phases to minimize disruption to children’s education—a small but significant relief for local families.

Both stories—one of devastating failure, the other of delayed progress—underscore the immense responsibilities facing the Department for Education. As the government moves to implement new safeguards and address infrastructure challenges, the eyes of parents, educators, and advocates remain watchful. The hope, shared by many, is that the lessons of Preston Davey’s tragedy and the needs of communities like Shifnal will not be forgotten as reforms take shape and promises are put to the test.

Government Pledges Urgent Safeguards After Preston Davey Tragedy

KimLoan

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