Marlon West, the Restore Britain candidate for Greater Manchester mayor, told a hushed audience at the Manchester Evening News mayoral hustings: 'My daughter was groomed, trafficked and raped.' Members of the public and the panel fell silent as he spoke of his family's fight to have their story heard.
The Abuse and Institutional Failures
His daughter, Scarlett, was 14 when the abuse began. West said institutions that were supposed to protect her instead 'destroyed [his] world'. He recounted: 'I was born here, raised here, was schooled here. I even went to Manchester University. I worked for the NHS for 30 years within Greater Manchester. I used to be just like you, watching from the side-lines. Then my entire world was destroyed. My daughter was groomed, trafficked and raped at the age of 14. The police told me to stop reporting [it]. Social services blamed me for it. I fought those institutions that destroyed my world [...] Every institution that should have protected my daughter failed.'
Campaign Against Child Sexual Exploitation
A former mental health nurse, West has since campaigned against child sexual exploitation. Restore UK has made this a key pledge, promising a national strategy to 'crush the rape gangs'. He returned to this theme during the hustings, promising to increase accountability for services. When asked about his political hero, West named Restore leader Rupert Lowe, saying: 'I knocked on all the politicians' doors and I went to the House of Commons and none of them would listen to me. [Lowe] was the only politician that would listen to me.'
Closing Remarks and Vow for Change
In his closing remarks, West told the audience he had 'spent years fighting the Home Office, the police, social services' to 'get justice' for his daughter. He added: 'Give me the opportunity, I will hold all services accountable and I will give you transparency for positive change.'
