Does the UK need another national inquiry into rape and sexual abuse gangs?
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Has there been a cover-up or a lack of action over ‘grooming gangs’, and why is Elon Musk supporting Tommy Robinson?. The Elon Musk-instigated argument over whether the UK needs another national inquiry into rape and sexual abuse gangs reached the Commons on Wednesday, with the Conservatives pushing an amendment that would set up such a process, while at the same time torpedoing a wider government bill on schools and child welfare.
Below are four claims being made about this much-contested subject, and what we actually know to be the case. The claim: The idea that the scale of “grooming gangs” was not just neglected as an issue but actively covered up has been a common charge not just by the likes of Reform UK, but also the Conservatives on occasions. At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Kemi Badenoch said Keir Starmer’s refusal to order another national inquiry could mean “people will start to worry about a cover-up”.
The reality: This is to a great extent a value judgment. The 2022 report by Prof Alexis Jay into the subject was scathing about the lack of protection for victims, and the way they were very often not believed. Jay’s earlier report, from 2014, into abuse and rapes in Rotherham, found a similar pattern, and said that some officials had been wary about discussing any ethnic patterns to the crimes for fear of being seen as racist.
Whether this counts as gross negligence or a cover-up could be argued both ways. That said, the more specific idea that Starmer was resisting a second inquiry because he feared it could harm him or his government seems unlikely. As well as the fact that much of the relevant time period took place under Conservative rule, Starmer has been praised for his role in pushing forward prosecutions for such offences when he was director of public prosecutions.
