'We All Make Mistakes': Wes Streeting Backs Lucy Powell Over Grooming Gangs Row

Wes Streeting is backing Lucy Powell.Wes Streeting has defended Lucy Powell as she fights to keep her job after she appeared to downplay the child grooming gangs scandal.The health secretary said “we all make mistakes” and that people should accept her apology.Thousands of vulnerable girls were abducted and raped by gangs of men from mainly British-Pakistani backgrounds.On Radio Four’s Any Questions programme, Reform UK campaigner Tim Montgmeries mentioned a Channel 4 documentary on the issue.Powell interrupted him to say: “Oh we want to blow that little trumpet now, do we? Let’s get that dog whistle out shall we, yeah?”Following an outcry on social media, Powell issued a statement on X apologising that her comments were “unclear”.She said: “In the heat of a discussion on [Any Questions], I would like to clarify that I regard issues of child exploitation and grooming with the utmost seriousness. I’m sorry if this was unclear.“I was challenging the political point scoring around it, not the issue itself. As a constituency MP I’ve dealt with horrendous cases. This government is acting to get to the truth, and deliver justice.”In the heat of a discussion on AQ, I would like to clarify that I regard issues of child exploitation & grooming with the utmost seriousness. I’m sorry if this was unclear. I was challenging the political point scoring around it, not the issue itself. As a constituency MP I’ve…— Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) May 3, 2025No.10 refused to comment on the row, but a senior Downing Street source told HuffPost UK that Powell’s comments were “appalling”.On Sky News this morning, Streeting said: “I’ve known Lucy for a long time, I don’t think for a moment she would have meant or wanted to imply that raising these issues, talking about these issues, is dog whistle.”He added: “We all make mistakes. I’ve made mistakes in the past, I’m sure I’ll make mistakes in the future. The important thing is when we make mistakes, we own it, we apologise. That’s exactly what Lucy has done.”Asked if Powell’s cabinet job was safe, the health secretary said: “Yes, I think she’s made a genuine mistake. She’s owned up to it, she’s said sorry and we’ll move on.”Streeting insisted the government takes the grooming gangs issue “extremely seriously”.He said: “Since we’ve come to office we’ve cracked on with making real changes that will help to support victims.“We’ve asked every police force in the land to go back on historic cases, to look again at all of those where no further action was taken. We’ve expanded victims’ access to an independent panel that was set up to look at historic cases.“We do take the issue seriously, we’re not beating about the bush on some of the thorny issues in there as well around ethnicity.”Related...Cabinet Minister Fighting To Keep Her Job After Grooming Gangs CommentsLee Anderson Brutally Slapped Down By Jess Phillips After Grooming Gangs AccusationYvette Cooper Slams 'Party Political Misinformation' Around Grooming Gang Probes

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