A petition for a national inquiry into 13-month-old Preston Davey’s death has surpassed 100,000 signatures, backed by Ellie Goulding and Carrie Johnson, wife of former prime minister Boris Johnson.
Preston was sexually abused and murdered by his adoptive father, Jamie Varley, 37, former high school teacher.
Preston Crown Court heard Varley inflicted “unremitting abuse” before a final, fatal sexual assault.
Varley received a whole life term, with no possibility of parole.
His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, an ex-public schoolboy, was jailed for 25 years for allowing and participating in the abuse.
In the wake of the sentencing, the Blackpool Gazette and Lancashire Post launched a change.org petition titled: “Preston Davey deserved better. Demand a national inquiry”.
The petition, backed by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb and Preston’s birth parents Sarah Davey and Gary Nolan, calls for “a national inquiry into the safeguarding failures that cost Preston his life”.
Lights singer Goulding, who is mother to two young children, and Johnson, who shares four children with the former prime minister, have added their names to the petition, which was launched on June 18.
Mr Webb called each signature “a signal to the government that the public wants answers about what happened to Preston Davey”.
Speaking in the Commons last week, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson pledged to do “everything within our power” to prevent another child facing the same fate as Preston.
She committed to rolling out new safeguards in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 by March, telling MPs: “Our thoughts must be with all of those who loved and knew Preston, and it is right that the evil abusers that committed these sickening and shocking crimes are now behind bars.
“The House can be assured that we take this extremely seriously, it is why I have asked for independent experts to look at Oldham Council, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the regional adoption agency to look carefully at all of the issues and concerns that have been raised through this process.
“The child safeguard practice review is commencing, led by the local safeguarding partnership with the national child safeguarding practice review, working closely to make sure it is of the highest quality.”
Ms Phillipson added: “It is an urgent priority for this incoming Government to update legislation to make sure we do everything within our power to keep children safe.
“I am glad that justice has been served.
“We can’t bring Preston back, but we can make sure that we do everything within our power to stop this happening to other children in future.”
