The Conservatives have accused Labour of an 'act of cowardice' after MPs voted down a Tory amendment calling for a national inquiry into grooming gangs. The amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill was defeated by 364 votes to 111, with no Labour MPs backing it.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Labour MPs had 'put their party ahead of getting to the truth and turned a blind eye to justice for the victims'. He added that they would have to explain to the British people why they opposed learning the truth behind the 'torture and rape of countless vulnerable girls'.
The clash came during Prime Minister's Questions, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch warning that Sir Keir Starmer's refusal to back a national inquiry would fuel concerns about a 'cover-up'. The Prime Minister hit back, accusing Badenoch of 'lies and misinformation' and arguing that the amendment would have derailed key child protection legislation.
Badenoch suggested a new inquiry could examine whether there was a 'racial and cultural motivation to some of these crimes', pointing to comments by former minister Jack Straw about white girls being seen as 'easy meat'. Starmer countered that any further inquiry would delay action until 2031, noting that recommendations from a seven-year investigation in 2022 had yet to be implemented.
The Prime Minister also defended his record as director of public prosecutions, saying he had greenlit the first mass prosecutions of grooming gangs but demanded a report on why earlier charges had not been brought. Badenoch retorted: 'Be a leader, not a lawyer.' The exchange follows renewed interest in the scandal after social media posts by Elon Musk.
