Suella Braverman claims Labour councils’ ‘political correctness’ failed to stop grooming gangs

Labour councillors failed to act because of ‘not wanting to come across as racist’, says home secretary

Home secretary Suella Braverman has claimed Labour-run councillors failed to act on grooming gangs over fears they would be called “racist”.

It comes as Rishi Sunak’s government revealed it will consult over a plan to make sure people working with children in England have a legal duty to report “signs or suspicions” of sexual abuse.

“We’ve seen institutions and state agencies – whether it’s social workers, teachers, the police – turn a blind eye to signs of abuse out of political correctness, out of fear of being called racists,” the home secretary told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday.