Andy Burnham defends Greater Manchester inquiry into grooming gangs
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Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has defended past inquiries into child sexual exploitation in the region – but added he “welcomes discussion” about a national review. Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Mr Burnham accused other politicians of “making grand comments” when they had “shown no interest” in the review he ordered in 2017 into allegations made in the BBC documentary The Betrayed Girls about child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester.
The independent review looked into grooming in Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale, and found authorities failed to protect children from paedophile gangs in each area. After being asked about recent calls for a national inquiry, he told the programme: “It’s interesting that you asked me that question, because it suggests that you do not know what I have already done.
“There has been, and is, an ongoing major inquiry, and there has been a substantial report into what happened in Oldham. “And as a result of that inquiry, there is a major police investigation, and as a result, there have been multiple arrests, charges and convictions… and I think it’s a danger because rather than dealing with facts, people are going straight to propaganda.”.
It comes after Elon Musk claimed safeguarding minister Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” for denying requests for the Home Office to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham. Ms Phillips said in a letter to the local council that Oldham must follow in the footsteps of other towns such as Rotherham and Telford and commission its own inquiry into historical abuse of children.
