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I am loathe to question Esther Rantzen’s generally impressive credentials when it comes to child protection and charities, but seeing her on telly last week criticising the government’s proposed Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) plans sent some alarm bells ringing.

Because Ms Rantzen has done a very quiet, but significant, U-turn on this issue - and some of us remember her appearing on BBC breakfast telly (cllick here) and Newsnight just a couple of years ago telling us why she supports the legislation and what a great idea the Labour government’s vetting proposals were!

I have felt this legislation was a stupid idea from the start and glad the government have put the implementation on hold in the light of the public outrage of the last two weeks.  It would have meant that every person who comes into regular contact with children or the elderly, through work or volunteering, must be approved by ISA officials checking for criminal convictions, disciplinary action and even unproven allegations.

As a father of two I want my children to be safe, but this was a move too far. The government was effectively creating a system that implied we are all paedophiles unless we pay £64 to prove that we aren't.  I don't want to live under a government that thinks that way.

I am pleased that Ms Rantzen now supports my position, and that of the Conservative party, rather than the Labour party’s nanny state stance, but one has to question the reason for this sudden change of heart. The next MP in Luton needs to be a sign post, not a weather vain kind of politician, and I do hope that Ms Rantzen’s conversion was the result of considered thought, rather than a sudden realization that as a parliamentary candidate the parents who were so against these proposals are also potential voters!

This u-turn smacks as being somewhat disingenuous and questions the platform of 'honest, straight-talking politics.'

It was also interesting that none of Ms Rantzen’s journalist friends bothered to mention this rather blatant U-turn in their newspapers or tv shows, either!  Must be nice being an 'insider' member of the protective media club!