Parliament Rejects Tories’ Push for New Grooming Gang Inquiry

Screen grab of Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch speaking during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London, on Jan. 8, 2025. PA

Parliamentarians have rejected the Conservative Party amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill calling for another national inquiry into grooming gangs.

MPs quashed the motion by a majority of 251 in a vote on Wednesday, following a debate on the bill, which aims to address gaps in safeguarding measures for children.

The Conservatives’ call for a “national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs” was rejected by 350 Labour MPs, two Green Party MPs, and 10 independent MPs.

Some 101 Tories backed the motion, joined by five Reform UK MPs, two DUP, the TUV’s Jim Allister, UUP MP Robin Swann, and independent Alex Easton.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill later received a second reading without the need for a further formal vote, as it progresses through Parliament.

The rift in Parliament over the need for a new national inquiry into child sexual abuse cases saw a number of exchanges between Labour and Tory MPs take place before the vote.

The government believes that a further inquiry could delay action on tackling child sexual abuse, pointing out that recommendations from the 2022 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) have not yet been implemented.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged opposition leader Kemi Badenoch to “withdraw her wrecking amendment” to the government’s bill, but the Tory leader insisted that failing to back a probe would fuel concerns about a “cover-up.”

Her call was backed by Reform UK, with its leader Nigel Farage suggesting his party would fund the new inquiry if the government fails to do so. He told MPs that people “need to know the truth about this great evil that has happened in our culture.”

Heated Exchange

Both Reform UK and the Conservatives were criticised by Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who said they were “marching to the beat of Elon Musk’s drum,” and “plainly weaponising the pain and the trauma of victims for their own political ends.”

Tech billionaire Musk has criticised Starmer, claiming he failed to prosecute “rape gangs” during his tenure as director of public prosecutions and suggesting that safeguarding minister Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” after denying requests for a public inquiry in Oldham.

In other remarks, Musk alleged that Starmer is “guilty of terrible crimes against the British people,” and commented “unbelievable” on the results of the Wednesday vote.

The government has rejected the criticism, suggesting that Musk crossed a line with his criticism and was spreading misinformation.

In recent comments, Phillips said she has faced a “deluge of hate,” following Musk’s remarks. She added that young women and constituents reached out to her to show support.

“It became the deluge of ‘we know this isn’t true,’ and I think that the vast majority of people in the country can see exactly what is happening,” Phillips said.

Divisions Over a New Inquiry

Labour has committed to implementing the recommendations of the IICSA, including the introduction of mandatory reporting of abuse and establishing a national redress scheme for survivors.

Led by Alexis Jay, the 2022 inquiry produced 107 recommendations in total, including the creation of a unified database of paedophiles in England and Wales.

Former Brexit Party MEP Baroness Fox of Buckley said that while implementation of the report’s proposals was “great action,” there was a need for a specific inquiry looking at Pakistani-heritage grooming gangs.

“What does the government think about the fact that state agencies knew about the industrial rape of girls who were considered to be white trash? Social workers, teachers, police officers looked the other way. That’s what we need an inquiry into. It’s a specific problem. We cannot just say that there was ‘child sex abuse’,” she said in Westminster.

Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint defended the government’s decision, saying another inquiry would not significantly add to the understanding of these issues. Instead, he emphasised the need for immediate action to prevent future abuse.

Jay has also backed urgent action on ICCSA proposals, rather than further inquiries, while England’s Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza welcomed the government’s commitments.

However, she added that she will support any further investigation considered necessary.

PA Media contributed to this report.