Andy Burnham Open to New National Inquiry on Grooming Gangs
Andy Burnham expresses willingness for a national inquiry into grooming gangs after a failed Conservative motion
Andy Burnham, Grooming Gangs, Child Sexual Exploitation, Greater Manchester, UK
Greater Manchester: So, Andy Burnham recently said he wouldn’t be against a new national inquiry into grooming gangs. This comes right after a Conservative attempt to set one up didn’t go through.
Labour MPs shot down the amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which aimed to kick off a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation. This happened after the Home Office turned down a request from Oldham Council for a new inquiry into local abuse.
Burnham, the mayor, had already started a review into child sexual abuse when he took office in 2017. This review has revealed some pretty shocking findings about how authorities handled cases in places like Oldham, Manchester, and Rochdale.
But here’s the kicker: no council or police officer has faced any criminal charges from those reviews. That’s why Burnham is now open to the idea of a national inquiry.
He mentioned on BBC Radio Manchester that his review wasn’t a public inquiry, meaning people didn’t have to give evidence. He pointed out that local reviews have their limits and can’t compel people to talk.
Burnham believes a national inquiry could pull together local reviews and really get to the heart of the issues, possibly leading to charges against those responsible.
The last Conservative government got the final report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse in 2022, but they didn’t act on its 20 recommendations before leaving office.
Prof Alexis Jay, who authored the report, called the abuse of children an epidemic, affecting tens of thousands of victims across the UK. The inquiry looked into organized groups after several convictions for child sexual offenses between 2010 and 2014.
Just yesterday, the Conservatives tried to push a motion for a new national inquiry into these gangs, but it was rejected by a significant margin. The Prime Minister even criticized the Tory leader for spreading misinformation that doesn’t help the victims.