Ban Men in Nurseries? Britain’s Safeguarding Reckoning
13 February 2026

Ban Men in Nurseries? Britain’s Safeguarding Reckoning

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins

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Ian Collins asks a question many parents are now openly debating: should men be banned from working in nurseries?


Following shocking revelations about safeguarding failures that created what one report called a “perfect hunting ground” for abusers, social commentator David Shipley argues it’s time for a hard line to protect children - while Tone Langengen from the Tony Blair Institute responds with the policy case for reform rather than blanket bans. Former Conservative peer and writer Matt Ridley weighs in on whether modern ideology has overridden common sense when it comes to child safety.


We also turn to energy and climate politics, as Tony Blair urges Labour to keep drilling for North Sea oil - just as Donald Trump scraps a key climate ruling in the US - raising fresh questions about whether the green agenda is finally colliding with economic reality.

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