Political opinion with John Milne MP: Success at last for Locked Child Trust Fund campaign

The end when it came, was sudden. Through the long years of campaigning - 6 years across 11 different Justice Ministers - it seemed like the argument would always just go round in circles.

But this time was different. In a joint meeting with Jake Richards, the latest Justice Minister, and Treasury Minister Lucy Rigby, we were told that the government would give the Locked Child Trust Fund campaign exactly what we wanted. Easy access to their own savings with needing to go through the Courts, which has proved an impossible task for the great majority of the 80k affected families.

This means they will be able to use their funds to support their disabled children in whichever way they deem appropriate. As is only right – it’s their own money.

I thank Jake Richards for doing what so many before him said was impossible. But mainly I pay tribute to the tireless work of Horsham resident Andrew Turner. The Turners were one of the first families to run into the legal quagmire 6 years ago, when they tried to access the savings for their disabled son Mikey. Andrew has been obliged to re-state his case again and again to a parade of ministers.

Child Trust Funds were a Blair-era concept in which all children were given a free sum of money, to be kept in a trust fund till their 18th birthday. The sums of money involved are mostly not huge, but in some cases they were substantially topped up by other family members.

It’s fantastic that we finally got this across the line. But another part of me is frustrated that it should be so hard. Absolutely everyone agrees that Locked Child Trust Funds are an injustice that needed reversal. Yet there seemed to be no obvious way to achieve natural justice.

Success came as a result of multiple factors, including my fortunate opportune opportunity to bring a 10 Minute Rule Bill at the same time as my Lib Dem colleague in the Lords, Baroness Kramer, lodged an amendment to the Finance Bill in a kind of pincer movement.

The government will now insert their own Child Trust Fund amendment to the Finance Bill.

I have been appointed to serve on the Bill Committee for this legislation so I can help to ensure the promises are fulfilled. All being well, the Bill should receive Royal Assent early next year.

I hope that Mikey’s parents will be able to bring him to Westminster as the Bill reaches its final stages, so he can share in the moment.

I’m also delighted to announce that Liberal Democrat members from across the constituency voted last week to reselect me as their candidate for the next election. Being your MP is the greatest honour of my life, and I’m determined to keep pressing forward with local campaigns like this one that matter to people across Horsham.