How Labour MPs are stepping up pressure for a new grooming gangs inquiry

Kemi Badenoch’s demands have been overshadowed by accusations of Islamophobia. Sean O’Grady looks at the calls now coming from within Labour

Pressure is still being put on the government for a further national inquiry into grooming gangs, which remain a matter of acute public concern. Frequent and sometimes incendiary interventions by Elon Musk have whipped up anger on social media and led to a wave of disinformation; but now some more responsible figures have joined the chorus calling for a new inquiry…

Who is calling for an inquiry now?

Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham, is the most powerful voice, representing a constituency that has suffered grievously from the gangs. She also has a long and honourable record, dating back long before the present arguments, in asking difficult questions about the topic. Champion is now calling for a national investigation comprising a series of local inquiries that would be fed back to the government; she also seeks a “national audit” of the scale of the problem; work to examine the motivations of gang members; and a review of existing laws to protect children and prosecute abusers.

Champion has been backed by Paul Waugh, MP for Rochdale – another town affected by the gangs – albeit his call is more conditional. “I’m not against a national inquiry but it has got to have some key caveats,” he says. “First, is it supported by victims? They fought for justice for many years, are they going to have to re-experience their trauma every time they explain this? They have done this time and time again.” Any inquiry should also “not cut across live police investigations.” Dan Carden, another Labour backbencher, spoke out some days ago.

What is the point of another national inquiry?

The Jay Inquiry, set up by Theresa May when prime minister, was very broad and some areas have not seen the kind of systematic investigation that was undertaken in Rotherham. Oldham is the most cited example. Local or regional inquiries, such as the one set up by Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, lack the power to compel anyone to give evidence. A national inquiry could identify organisations and individuals, including in the police, councils and social services, who failed the victims and make recommendations for reform.

What does the opposition say?

Kemi Badenoch has adopted the issue, but her case is weakened because she and her colleagues did not institute such an inquiry while they were in power, nor did they implement many of the recommendations of the Jay Inquiry.

Ms Badenoch has also been accused of clambering on a bandwagon driven by Musk. Recently she has identified “cultural” concerns, saying the perpetrators came from “a very poor background, a sort of peasant background, very, very rural, almost cut off from even the home-origin countries that they might have been in”.

She added: “They’re not necessarily first generation. The jobs that they were doing, taxi drivers, jobs which allowed them to exhibit this predatory behaviour.”

For their part, Nigel Farage and Reform UK have said they will set up their own inquiry if the government fails to do so. Of course, any such move would be viewed with the suspicion that it is merely exploiting grievances.

So what will Keir Starmer do?

His position is essentially negative, stressing the need to take action rather than re-examine the past. He has also been wary of appearing to do as Musk wishes, or to hand Badenoch or Farage an easy and unjustified “win”.

However, his spokespeople have left open the option of another national inquiry if victims and survivors demand it, adding that such groups are currently divided on its merits. If more Labour MPs join Carden, Champion and Waugh, the prime minister may well decide to agree to a new investigation even though it might embarrass some past or present Labour councillors.

A recent poll suggests that 76 per cent of people support a national independent inquiry into the sexual abuse and rape of children by grooming gangs.