The government's national inquiry into grooming gangs has stalled amid disputes over its scope and difficulties in appointing a chair, sources have told the Guardian. Four months after Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched the statutory investigation, a panel of stakeholders, including survivors, is still debating its terms of reference.
The Home Office confirmed that the search for a chair is ongoing, with senior legal figures reportedly reluctant to take on the role. A source said the issue remains 'toxic' because the inquiry must address why men of Pakistani origin have dominated many abuse rings, while intense media scrutiny of previous inquiry chairs has deterred candidates.
Disagreements have emerged on the panel over whether to focus solely on street-based grooming gangs or expand the remit to include other forms of child sexual exploitation and regional abuse. Survivors fear a repeat of the seven-year Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), which was criticised as too vague and superficial.
Richard Scorer, a lawyer representing grooming gang victims, said candidates may be unwilling to sacrifice years on an inquiry without assurance that recommendations will be implemented. He noted that IICSA's grooming gangs investigation was 'nothing like thorough enough' and took little evidence from victims.
The inquiry was launched in June after pressure from survivors and Elon Musk, following a three-month audit by Dame Louise Casey. Jess Phillips, the home office minister, told MPs last month that the appointment of a chair was in its 'final stages', with a panel of survivors involved in the approval process.
