Labour increases pressure on Conservative ‘bandwagon jumping’
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Labour easily sees off Tory attempt to force new inquiry on child rape gangs. Cabinet ministers have ramped up attacks on Conservative “bandwagon jumping” over child rape gangs during furious exchanges in the Commons as the government saw off a Tory attempt to force a new inquiry on the issue.
Amid continued pressure, No 10 appeared to slightly soften its position on the idea of a second inquiry into so-called grooming gangs, echoing the words of the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, in saying Keir Starmer was open to hearing the views of victims.
But multiple Labour MPs and ministers lambasted the Conservatives for their attempt to kill the child wellbeing and schools bill by tabling an amendment that would force a national inquiry, blocking the bill at the same time. After a sometimes bitter debate, the amendment was defeated by 364 votes to 111, a majority of 253.
However, Labour MPs told the Guardian they feared being subject to threats because of Conservative attack adverts, which said they had blocked an inquiry into grooming gangs by voting against the amendment. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said the Conservative amendment was “shameful” and that it would have stopped vital child protection measures in the bill.
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, told the Guardian that the Conservatives were in a “bad place” and that “plenty of Conservative MPs are looking pretty embarrassed at what was being said by their party leader”, Kemi Badenoch. During the debate, relatively few Tory MPs mentioned Badenoch’s call for an inquiry, mainly focusing on changes to the schools’ curriculum and academy chains contained in the bill, also the subject of much of the speech by Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary.
