The bond between the state and the bereaved is fragile, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting has just shattered it. In a stunning rebuke, families of the 56 babies who died at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have declared they have "lost trust" in the government's handling of the inquiry into the scandal.

The dispute centers on the chair of the investigation. The families demanded Donna Ockenden, the fierce and trusted investigator who uncovered the horrors at Shrewsbury and Nottingham. Streeting promised consultation. Instead, he went on the radio and unilaterally ruled her out. This act of "bypassing the victims" has triggered a political firestorm, with MPs now petitioning Prime Minister Keir Starmer to intervene directly.

A Pattern of Exclusion

The letter to Downing Street, signed by Fabian Hamilton and Richard Burgon, describes the Health Secretary's move as a "complete betrayal." It highlights a recurring theme in NHS scandals: the institutional instinct to manage the narrative rather than uncover the truth. The families don't just want an inquiry; they want an inquiry they can believe in.

Ockenden herself has stated she stands "ready to chair the review," adding pressure to the government. Her name has become synonymous with accountability in maternity care. By blocking her, Streeting appears—to the families—to be prioritizing bureaucratic convenience over forensic truth.

• The Death Toll: At least 56 babies and two mothers died due to failings that may have been preventable.
• The Ockenden Factor: Families view her as the only figure with the independence and steel to challenge the NHS hierarchy.
• The Political Fallout: The direct appeal to Starmer undermines Streeting's authority and elevates the crisis to a Tier 1 political headache.

The Silence of the Cribs

For the parents who left the hospital with empty car seats, this bureaucratic wrangling is a secondary trauma. They are fighting for the memory of their children against a system that seems more interested in PR than pathology.

Unless the Prime Minister intervenes, the Leeds inquiry risks being tainted before it even begins. You cannot find the truth if you start by silencing the witnesses.