Peter Wanless of the NSPCC calls for more preventive action on child poverty, a ban on ‘morally repugnant’ smacking and favours guardrails online rather than bans

The boss of the UK’s leading children’s charity has attacked the Conservatives for their failure to improve outcomes for children, saying that, while they were in power, “pretty much every indicator” went in the wrong direction.

In a frank interview days before he steps down, NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said ministers had “good intentions”, citing a review of children’s social care and online safety reforms – but that in the end, “you’ve got to be judged by the actions”.