Hodge apologises in bid to keep job

Children's Minister Margaret Hodge today dramatically apologised to a former child abuse victim she had labelled an "extremely disturbed person".

The climbdown came in a personal letter sent by the minister to Demetrious Panton as she battled to stay in her government job.

Mr Panton has threatened Mrs Hodge with legal action over her attack on him after he came forward to tell of his abuse as a young boy in a children's home run by Islington council, where she was leader.

If he is not satisfied with her apology and officially begins legal action she may stand down and fight it - hoping for a recall to the Government once it is over.

Mrs Hodge's comments on Mr Panton were contained in a letter to BBC chairman Gavyn Davies in which she sought to prevent the corporation reporting on his case. She has faced strident Opposition calls to quit - but today received strong backing from Downing Street.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "She is the Children's Minister as we speak and I have no reason whatever to expect the position to change by the end of the day.

"The Prime Minister believes that if you look at what Margaret Hodge has achieved in government she has a good record. That is the judgment he has taken."

Mr Blair had "continued confidence" in Mrs Hodge, the spokesman added.

The Tories kept up the political pressure on Mrs Hodge, with shadow heath and education secretary Tim Yeo claiming: "Every day Tony Blair keeps Margaret Hodge in post it says that this Government has no understanding or sympathy for the victims of child abuse. You should protect the victims of child abuse - not slag them off in letters to the BBC."

Meanwhile leading child abuse expert Alan Levy QC today accused Mrs Hodge of "unfairly pillorying" Mr Panton, an urban renewal consultant whose clients include John Prescott's Whitehall department. Mr Levy, who chaired the Staffordshire "pindown" inquiry in 1991, said he was "rather disturbed" by the comments made by Mrs Hodge and warned that ministers should take great care in how they described child abuse victims.

Mike Taylor, former director of children's services for the NSPCC, claimed Mrs Hodge's comments sent a "bad message" to other abuse victims - that if they spoke out they could end up facing a personal attack.

Mr Taylor said the minister's words had "dismantled a great deal of trust" that the system needed to make it work and called on her to make an "unreserved, very realistic and committed apology".

But Mrs Hodge's parliamentary aide, Labour MP Michael Foster, admitted that "all the good work she is doing is not getting through" because of the continuing Islington controversy. Asked if she would survive he replied: "I certainly hope so."