Labour's Inquiry Into The Grooming Gangs Scandal Is In Crisis. Here's Why

Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood are under pressure over the grooming gangs inquiry.The government’s inquiry into the child grooming gangs scandal is in crisis, giving Keir Starmer another problem to add to the huge list of challenges facing his struggling administration.Four survivors of abuse have quit their roles in the probe in recent days amid claims Downing Street is dragging its feet over the inquiry.Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, is also facing calls to resign after being accused of misleading parliament over the government’s handling of the scandal.Tory leader Kemi Badenoch piled the pressure on Starmer at prime minister’s questions, where the PM announced that his favourite troubleshooter, Dame Louise Casey, has been drafted in to “support the work of the inquiry”.Here’s what you need to know.How did we get here? In June, Starmer finally threw his weight behind a national inquiry into the rape and sexual abuse of vulnerable young girls by groups of men of mainly Pakistani origin.The PM had previously rejected calls by the Tories and Reform UK for a national probe, insisting his focus was on implementing all of the recommendations of a previous inquiry into child sex abuse by Professor Alexis Jay.Starmer even accused politicians demanding a national probe of jumping on a “bandwagon of the far-right”.But he climbed down after an independent report into child sexual exploitation by Baroness Casey said a national inquiry was needed.Then home secretary Yvette Cooper said the audit was “damning”, and proved not enough action has been taken to protect victims in the 15 years since the scandal was uncovered.Casey also said agencies looking into the scandal had tried to avoid mentioning the ethnicity of the suspects, even though there was “clear evidence of over-representation” of Asian and Pakistani men.Why is the inquiry back in the news? Two abuse survivors, Fiona Goddard and Ellie-Ann Reynolds, resigned from the inquiry’s victims and survivors panel on Monday, citing concerns about a “toxic environment”. Two other unnamed women on the panel followed them on Tuesday.The women also expressed concerns over attempts to widen the scope of the inquiry, and the candidates being considered to chair it, one of whom was reportedly a former police chief and the other a social worker.Annie Hudson, a former director of children’s services for Lambeth Council, has now reportedly withdrawn her candidacy to be inquiry chair following recent media coverage.Until a chair is chosen, the inquiry cannot get properly underway.What has been the government’s response?Writing in The Times on Wednesday, home secretary Shabana Mahmood insisted that the focus of the grooming gangs inquiry “will not change”.That was in response to concerns raised by survivors that its scope would be broadened out to include other kinds of sexual abuse.Mahmood said: “The victims and survivors were failed, both at the time of their abuse and in the many years afterwards. They were not believed. They were treated as an inconvenience. In some cases, they were even made suspects themselves.“I know that the only way that we, as a country, can move forwards is when we finally get to the whole truth. That is why this government committed to a full, statutory, national inquiry.”She insisted it “will never be watered down on my watch” and vowed that the victims would eventually get the justice they deserve.“There will be no hiding place for those who abused the most vulnerable in our society,” the home secretary said. “Nor will those who ignored victims, and even covered up what occurred, be shielded from the truth.”How has that gone down?Judging by the difficult time Starmer was given by Badenoch at PMQs, not very well.She said she was giving her first question to Fiona Goddard, one of the victims who resigned from the liaison panel on Monday.Badenoch said: “She said, ‘being dismissed and contradicted by a minister when you’re telling the truth takes you right back to that feeling of not being believed all over again’.“Fiona’s question is simple: ‘What’s the point in speaking up if we’re just going to be called liars?’”Badenoch went on to demand the PM sack Jess Phillips, but Starmer instead gave his minister his full backing.“Let me give Fiona and the House my answer because the grooming scandal was one of the worst scandals of our time,” the prime minister said.“Women and girls were abused and exploited by predatory gangs of men, and survivors have been ignored for many years including by the state that of course is supposed to protect them.“My vow to Fiona and them is that this national inquiry will change that and I do acknowledge that in recent days some members including Fiona have decided to step away from the panel.“I say this, should they wish to return, the door will always be open, but even if they do not, we owe it to them and to Fiona and to the country to answer the concerns that they have raised.“The inquiry is not and will never be watered down. Its scope will not change. It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders and we will find the right person to chair the inquiry.”The PM’s warm words are all well and good, but the grooming gang victims – and the country at large – want to see those responsible brought to account.His government will be judged on how quickly they can deliver that justice.Related...The Grooming Gangs Scandal: How Did We Get Here?'We Have Lost More Than A Decade': Labour Unveils 'Damning' Results Of Grooming Gang ReviewTop Tory's 'Excuse' As To Why Party Didn't Call Grooming Gangs Inquiry In Office Torn Apart

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