Lemn Sissay: ‘brilliant’ plans to improve child social care ignored by ministers

Poet says government has not acted on 2022 MacAlister review because reforming system is not a vote winner

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The poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay has accused ministers of ignoring “brilliant” recommendations to improve the “dysfunctional” children’s social care system in England because they are not vote winners.

Sissay, whose bestselling memoir My Name Is Why was a reflection on his own childhood in care, said the government had “cherrypicked” from the 2022 MacAlister review, despite the report putting forward costed recommendations that would save money in the longer term.