By Andrew Sparrow From The Guardian

Editor: Before the announcement:

On the child abuse inquiry, as Nicholas Watt reports, there are renewed calls for Lady Butler-Sloss to step down. Here’s an extract from his story:

Vera Baird, the police and crime commissioner for Northumbria who served as Labour’s solicitor general from 2007 to 2010, said the home secretary, Theresa May, had made an error in appointing Butler-Sloss because her brother had served as attorney general in the 1980s.

Butler-Sloss, a former president of the family division of the high court,has faced intense pressure since her appointment last week because her brother, the late Sir Michael Havers, served as Margaret Thatcher’s attorney general from 1979 to 1987. The Butler-Sloss panel would have to examine whether Havers played down allegations of child abuse during that period.

Baird told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 on Monday: “If she were in a court case presiding over it and her brother were mentioned as someone she may have to investigate, she would of course withdraw due to a conflict of interest. The conflict of interest is even bigger here where we have a vulnerable community of people who say that they have been not allowed to get justice.

“It is her task to look into it. It has got to be done by somebody who is an outsider to this, who is completely independent. Without wanting to descend totally to cliche, justice must not only be done but it has to be seen to be done.”

Lady Butler-Sloss is standing down as chair of the child abuse inquiry, Downing Street has announced.

She decided over the weekend and is putting out a statement about now. The prime minister’s spokesman made the announcement at the Number 10 lobby briefing, but it was embargoed until 12pm.

A story in the Times on Saturday, quoting an abuse victim who claims Butler-Sloss once told him that she wanted to exclude a bishop’s name from a child abuse report because she wanted to protect the reputation of the church, may have been the final straw that prompted her to quit. Butler-Sloss denied that allegation.

But she has been facing criticism ever since her appointment last week. No one has questioned her integrity, but critics have argued that she was compromised because her brother was the late Lord Havers, who has been criticised for not taking a tougher stance on child abuse when he was attorney general in the late 1980s.

It has also been argued that, as a member of the House of Lords and the judiciary, she may not be the best person to investigate allegtions of abuse involving members of those institutions.

A replacement chair has not been announced.

Here is Number 10 on Lady Butler-Sloss’s decision to stand down.

[Lady Butler-Sloss] has taken the decision to step down as chair of the panel inquiry. It is entirely her decision. The government’s view hasn’t changed, that she would have done a first-class job as chair. The reasons for her appointment still absolutely stand in terms of her professional expertise and her integrity, which I don’t think has been questioned from any quarter whatsoever, and rightly so.

Lady Butler-Sloss’s resignation statement

Here’s the full statement from Lady Butler-Sloss.

I was honoured to be invited by the Home Secretary to chair the wide-ranging inquiry about child sexual abuse and hoped I could make a useful contribution.

It has become apparent over the last few days, however, that there is a widespread perception, particularly among victim and survivor groups, that I am not the right person to chair the inquiry. It has also become clear to me that I did not sufficiently consider whether my background and the fact my brother had been Attorney General would cause difficulties.

This is a victim-orientated inquiry and those who wish to be heard must have confidence that the members of the panel will pay proper regard to their concerns and give appropriate advice to Government.

Nor should media attention be allowed to be diverted from the extremely important issues at stake, namely whether enough has been done to protect children from sexual abuse and hold to account those who commit these appalling crimes.

Having listened to the concerns of victim and survivor groups and the criticisms of MPs and the media, I have come to the conclusion that I should not chair this inquiry and have so informed the Home Secretary.

I should like to add that I have dedicated my life to public service, to the pursuit of justice and to protecting the rights of children and families and I wish the inquiry success in its important work.

And here is Theresa May’s statement on Lady Butler-Sloss’s resignation.

I am deeply saddened by Baroness Butler-Sloss’s decision to withdraw but understand and respect her reasons. Baroness Butler-Sloss is a woman of the highest integrity and compassion and continues to have an enormous contribution to make to public life.

As she has said herself, the work of this inquiry is more important than any individual and an announcement will be made on who will take over the chairmanship and membership of the panel as soon as possible so this important work can move forward.

May will be taking questions on this when she gives evidence to the home affairs committee at 3pm.

Downing Street has indicated that we will not get the name of Lady Butler-Sloss’s replacement as chair of the child abuse inquiry today. The appointment “may take a few days”, the prime minister’s spokesman said.

Asked if the government took into account Butler-Sloss’s backround, and the factors that led to her resignation, when appointing her, the spokesman said it was no secret that her brother was attorney general.

But the spokesman refused to be drawn on whether officials and ministers had been aware of Lord Havers’ involvement in decisions relating to certain child abuse allegations in the 1980s.

The Spotlight on Abuse blog gives more details about some of those Havers’ decisions.

Keith Vaz, the Labour chair of the Commons home affairs committee, has welcomed Lady Butler-Sloss’s decision to stand down.

I am not surprised by this decision – it is the right one.

As I pointed out to Mr Sedwill the public would be concerned that a member of parliament, not matter how distinguished, had been appointed to head this important panel.

The whole inquiry process is becoming shambolic: missing files, Ministers refusing to read reports and now the chair resigning before the inquiry is has even commenced.

At a committee hearing last week, Vaz questioned whether Butler-Sloss was the right candidate for the post, although he did also say that he accepted she was a woman of impeccable integrity.

Asked if the government would now be looking for someone with less of an establishment background to chair the inquiry, the prime minister’s spokesman said:

The key thing around appointments will be getting a panel that has the right range of skills and expertise and credibility that gives and inspires confidence in it and its work.

The reference to “credibility” and “inspiring confidence” suggest that the short answer is yes.

Quote from Lord Ashcroft:

“I must say the dignity of Baroness Butler-Sloss is inspiring and an example to all those in public life.”

For more on this story go to: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2014/jul/14/mps-question-theresa-may-over-child-abuse-inquiry-and-surveillance-bill-politics-live-blog#block-53c3b9f0e4b093fa8e0aacd1