Well, what do you know — the five investigations into the child grooming gangs scandal are, in fact, going ahead. At least, that’s the word from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who clarified in a recent LBC interview that the inquiries will proceed as promised in January. To suggest otherwise, she says, is nothing more than “party political misinformation”. So, all’s well again? Not quite, Yvette.
The grooming scandal is one of the darkest stains on recent British history — involving the systematic abuse and rape of vulnerable, mostly white girls, many of them in care, by gangs of predominantly Pakistani men. Towns like Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford have become synonymous with institutional failure on an unforgivable scale.
But Jess Phillips — Labour’s minister tasked with addressing violence against women and girls — managed to stir widespread fury. Just before Parliament dissolved for the Easter recess, Phillips seemed to row back on the January pledge of judge-led inquiries. Instead, she suggested a more “flexible” approach: local authorities — some of the same councils who failed these girls in the first place — would be given funds to investigate themselves. The promised £5 million? To be spread among panels overseen by those very councils. Foxes and henhouses spring to mind.
Understandably, this caused uproar. Labour MPs in constituencies affected by the scandal voiced dismay, and Phillips attempted damage control via a hastily arranged Zoom call — a gesture that did little to soothe voters or colleagues. Meanwhile, Reform UK seized the opportunity in local campaigns, while Nigel Farage relished what he labelled Labour’s political cowardice.
Cue Home Secretary Cooper, stepping in to clear the fog. Yes, she insists, judge-led inquiries are going ahead. If there was confusion, it was merely a miscommunication. But if that’s the case, one is left wondering how Jess Phillips managed to misunderstand her brief so spectacularly — and why Tom Crowther KC, supposedly leading the inquiry, had heard so little about it.
Let’s be honest — the original proposal wasn’t especially bold. Only five areas were named, despite evidence of widespread abuse across the country. A million pounds per area to investigate years — even decades — of institutional failure isn’t lavish. But at least a judge-led inquiry carried some weight, unlike toothless local panels with no legal power to compel evidence.
So why the back-and-forth? It reeks of political timidity. The communities involved in these cases wield significant electoral influence in some areas — and Labour’s hesitance to be seen as targeting one ethnic group may explain the party’s reluctance to address the issue directly. But shielding wrongdoers for fear of causing offence is both morally and politically disastrous. This is not a time for squeamishness.
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The public is rightly furious. As Conservative MP Katie Lam pointed out, these were “racially and religiously aggravated crimes”. From the police to local councils, from social workers to safeguarding officials — no one has been held to account. The very people meant to protect children not only failed but sometimes enabled abuse. In one notorious case, a 14-year-old in Bradford, “Anna”, was placed into foster care with her abuser’s family after being “married” to him in a traditional Islamic ceremony. Her social worker attended the wedding.
Meanwhile, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, Shabir Ahmed, held a position at Oldham council as a welfare officer. And still — not a single official has faced criminal charges for negligence or cover-up. Not one.
Jess Phillips is right to say child abuse goes beyond grooming gangs. But that doesn’t justify downplaying the very specific and systemic abuse perpetrated in these towns. To ignore the ethnic and cultural dimension of these cases is not only dishonest, it’s a betrayal of the victims.
And what of London? Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall asked in January how many grooming gangs had been identified in the capital over the past two decades. She’s still waiting for an answer. “Officers are drafting a response,” comes the vague reply.
One wonders how long victims must wait for justice — or even just the truth.
