The Safeguarding Shitstorm: How Cameron’s Panic Made Things Worse

When history looks back on the post-grooming scandal era of Britain, one name will stand out not for steady leadership, but for a knee-jerk reaction that sowed chaos: Lord David Cameron.

In the wake of the media storms around child exploitation and grooming gangs, Cameron’s government rushed to roll out safeguarding measures that looked good on paper but have unravelled in practice. The intent may have been noble; the outcome has been disastrous.

Instead of empowering teachers, youth workers, and families to protect children, the hastily-drawn regulations piled on bureaucracy, fostered paranoia, and left abusers with more shadows to hide in. School corridors became sites of suspicion rather than trust. Private settings — where real danger often festers — slipped further under the radar.

As our editor bluntly puts it:

> “It’s got worse in schools and in private places.”

And he’s right. The numbers tell a story of rising disclosures, stretched services, and children falling through the cracks. Teachers and coaches whisper that they now spend more time ticking boxes than actually safeguarding. Victims are failed twice: first by their abusers, then by a system more concerned with covering its own back than protecting them.

This is not to say safeguarding should be scrapped — far from it. But reactionary policymaking, built on headlines rather than hard truths, has left Britain’s children more vulnerable, not less. What was needed was thoughtful reform. What we got was a political shield for Cameron and his government.

Dale Blues believes it’s time for a reset: less paperwork, more people power; less panic, more patience. Because safeguarding is not about policies on a page — it’s about trust, vigilance, and courage.

Until Westminster learns that lesson, the shitstorm will rage on.