Starmer not wavering over national grooming gang inquiry, No 10 insists
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Downing Street has rejected suggestions that Sir Keir Starmer is wavering in his insistence that a national inquiry into grooming gangs is not necessary. The Prime Minister will be “guided by the victims”, his official spokesman added, leaving open the door to a future inquiry should survivors and campaign groups support one.
Sir Keir and several members of his frontbench team did not take place in a Wednesday night Commons vote urging the Government to set up a new inquiry. MPs rejected the Conservative push for a new inquiry, which took the form of an amendment to a Government Bill aimed at bolstering child safety.
The Bill – which includes measures aimed at protecting home schooled children – would have been derailed from the legislative agenda had the Tory vote succeeded, but Labour’s Commons majority meant this was deeply unlikely. Sir Keir has insisted a further inquiry could delay action on tackling child sexual abuse, pointing out that recommendations from a seven-year probe which reported in 2022 had not yet been implemented.
In recent days, there have been signals ministers could soften their view if victims felt different. Sir Keir’s spokesman however rejected the suggestion the Prime Minister was wavering on his insistence there would not be a fresh investigation. “We will be guided by the victims, and what we’ve heard from the victims is that they don’t want to see another national inquiry,” he told reporters.
He added: “We’ve had a national inquiry, it… engaged 7,000 victims, and what victims are telling us is that they want to see action, and that’s where the Government is focused, and that’s why we’re not going ahead with another national inquiry.
