During an election campaign, it is important to raise burning issues with candidates. However, it is equally important to ask the right questions, especially on sensitive topics like the grooming gang scandal. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham faced a confrontation on the street during the Makerfield by-election campaign, as captured in a video posted on X.
The Confrontation
A man approached Burnham and asked: 'Andy, can I ask you why you didn't support the rape gang inquiry?' Burnham immediately replied: 'I did, I ordered one.' When the man accused him of a cover-up, Burnham clarified: 'I ordered one in 2017.' The man then asked why it had not happened, to which Burnham responded: 'It has, go and read the reports online. One into Manchester, one into Oldham, one into Rochdale, new charges.'
Burnham's Response
Reacting to the video, Burnham claimed the person filming was a Restore supporter from Sheffield. The video highlights the importance of factual accuracy in political discourse.
Background on the Inquiries
In July 2017, Baroness Beverley Hughes was tasked with compiling an initial review of child sexual exploitation (CSE) issues. This led Burnham to commission an independent review into CSE in Greater Manchester, led by Malcolm Newsam CBE and Gary Ridgway. The first report, published in January 2020, detailed how victims were let down by police and local authorities. The second report came in June 2022, and the third in January 2024.
Campaigner Maggie Oliver, a former detective constable at Greater Manchester Police, praised two of the reports as 'quite thorough' but was critical of the Oldham inquiry published in 2022. She resigned over the handling of a fourth report on the police's current approach.
National Inquiry
In January 2024, Burnham backed a limited national inquiry into CSE, acknowledging limitations of local reviews. Sir Keir Starmer announced a national inquiry in June 2025, following an audit by Baroness Louise Casey.
This incident underscores the need for voters to be well-informed when engaging with politicians on complex issues.
