Barnet Council is facing calls for the resignation of two of its leading members following the deaths of three young people with care experience. An opposition motion, debated at a Council meeting on Tuesday, demanded the resignation of Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of the Council, and Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb, Cabinet Member for Family Friendly Barnet.

The motion, titled Secrecy and Failures in Corporate Parenting, was put forward by Councillor Peter Zinkin, Leader of the Conservative Group. It criticised the council's handling of information following the death of a young person in December 2023, alleging a toxic culture of secrecy and coverup .

The councillors are accused of failing to inform the corporate parents of the young person's death and the proceedings following it, including the coroner's inquest. This lack of disclosure was considered a failure to honor the role of councillors as corporate parents and was seen as symptomatic of a toxic culture of secrecy and coverup.

The motion stated that all councillors are corporate parents with a duty of care to all children in the council's care. It further stated that councillors have a duty to ensure that the council adheres to its duties to looked after children and care experienced adults.

The motion highlighted several instances where the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Family Friendly Barnet allegedly failed to disclose information, including:

  • January 2024, when a brief note was made in CPAP under AOB
  • November 2024, when notice was given of the coroner's listing and the beginning of the case
  • May 2025, when the coroner provided initial findings and asked for more information
  • Later in May 2025, when involved charities published the coroner's initial findings and the council requested they take down their write ups. The meeting information does not provide the council's justification for this request.
  • June 2025, when the council responded to the coroner
  • August 2025, when first approached by Sky News on the matter of their documentary
  • October 2025, when the final findings of the coroner were communicated to the Council.

The motion also resolved that:

  • Councillor Rawlings and Councillor Coakley Webb should resign. The meeting information does not specify any further consequences if they do not resign.
  • All Corporate Parents should be immediately informed of any event involving looked after young persons which may reasonably be expected to require an inquest.
  • Reviews will always take place following such inquests. The timeline for these reviews and the specific body responsible for conducting them are not specified in the provided information.
  • Said reviews will be published and sent to the relevant scrutiny committee for review.
  • Members should be notified of the date of any inquest in which the London Borough of Barnet is a named party.