Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch of 'bandwagon jumping' in her call for a new inquiry into sexual abuse gangs, during heated exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions. Starmer condemned Badenoch for planning to oppose a children's wellbeing bill, which he argued would protect vulnerable children.
Starmer claimed Badenoch only took an interest in the subject after Elon Musk repeatedly tweeted about it, noting she had not raised it in the Commons during her eight years as an MP, including as children's minister. He challenged her to prove otherwise, saying he would withdraw the remark if she could.
Badenoch responded that she had raised the issue in speeches and, as a non-Home Office minister, would not have addressed it in the Commons. She rejected Starmer's argument that another national inquiry would delay implementation of the 2022 Jay report's recommendations, insisting a new inquiry could summon witnesses under oath.
Starmer said he had met survivors of grooming gangs earlier on Wednesday who preferred swift action over another inquiry. He angrily condemned the Conservative amendment to the children's wellbeing and schools bill, which would block the entire bill, including provisions to prevent cases like that of Sara Sharif.
The prime minister implored Tory MPs to vote for the bill, while Badenoch accused him of ordering Labour MPs to vote against an inquiry into 'one of the worst scandals in British history'. The Commons is set to vote on the bill and the amendment on Wednesday.
