Arthur Labinjo-Hughes case shows we need the death penalty, says Blackpool South MP Scott Benton

His support for the death penalty comes after the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, six, who was abused and killed by his father, Thomas Hughes, and stepmother, Emma Tustin, in June 2020.

Tustin was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 29 years and Hughes was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Fleetwood MP Cat Smith, meanwhile, said: “Over a decade of cuts has left social workers facing an impossible workload and this is putting vulnerable children at risk.”

She said that funding cuts had led to many experienced social workers leaving the profession due to being ‘overburdened by rising caseloads’, according to the British Association of Social Workers.

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