Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a new statutory inquiry into grooming gangs, following a recommendation from Louise Casey’s independent review. Speaking to reporters en route to the G7 summit in Canada, Starmer said he had “read every single word” of Casey’s report and would implement her recommendation.
Casey, who conducted a months-long audit of child sexual exploitation, initially believed a national inquiry was unnecessary but changed her mind after examining the evidence. Starmer stressed the inquiry would be established under the Inquiries Act, with details to be set out “in an orderly way”.
The announcement marks a shift in Starmer’s position; earlier this year he resisted calls for a new national inquiry, saying it would delay justice. He instead urged focus on implementing past recommendations. The government has also asked Tom Crowther KC to help devise a model for investigations in five towns, including Oldham.
Casey was tasked with reviewing data not available to the previous Alexis Jay inquiry, including the ethnicity and demographics of abusers and victims, and cultural drivers of offending. Her 2015 report on Rotherham highlighted an “archaic culture of sexism, bullying and discomfort around race”.
Pressure for a new inquiry intensified after Elon Musk’s tweets spotlighted the issue last year. Recently, seven men were convicted in Rochdale for grooming two teenage girls. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Starmer’s change of heart, accusing him of wasting six months.
