Keir Starmer has used his supermajority in Parliament to block a national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal. Labour MPs have put the Labour Party above getting to the truth and turned a blind eye to justice for the victims.
Keir Starmer has said that calling for a national inquiry into the torture and rape of countless vulnerable girls is a ‘far-Right bandwagon’.
And he's hiding behind the lie that he can't take action for victims whilst also holding an inquiry.
In Government, the Conservatives launched both an independent inquiry and the Grooming Gangs Taskforce. We delivered concrete action and want to see more.
A new national inquiry is needed now because previous inquiries have not joined the dots – so even though Labour have blocked our plans today this will not stop us from working hard to make sure the victims get the justice they deserve.
We are calling for a comprehensive statutory national public inquiry into the rape gangs to get to the truth about the extent of the abuse and the cover-ups. It needs to build on and go further than previous inquiries by:
Furthermore, ensuring that any foreign national offenders involved in the abuse must be deported. We call on the government to use the powers under the Nationalities and Borders Act and take all necessary steps to remove foreign nationals who have been convicted as part of the rape gangs as a priority.
And using all existing laws to investigate and bring prosecutions for misconduct in public office.
Keir Starmer is trying to hide behind the lie that he cannot take action for victims whilst also holding an inquiry. He has also plucked – out of thin air – 2031 as the date for a national inquiry to conclude. This is just a deflection from the fact he is ignoring the victims who are calling for a national inquiry.
Keir Starmer is ordering Labour MPs in Telford, Rochdale, Bristol, Derby, Aylesbury, Oldham, Bradford, Peterborough, Coventry, Middlesborough, Newcastle and Ramsgate to vote against a national inquiry into the gangs. These gangs have systematically raped children in their constituencies. However, Keir Starmer has whipped his MPs to vote against our amendment calling for a national inquiry.
The Conservatives launched an Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse in 2015. It was chaired by Alexis Jay. The Jay inquiry reported in October 2022 and made 20 recommendations to government.
The Conservative Government launched the new Grooming Gangs Taskforce, bringing together specialist police and National Crime Agency experts to uncover hidden exploitation and bring more perpetrators to justice. It made 550 arrests and protected 4,000 victims.
