MPs have rejected a Conservative bid to push for another national inquiry into grooming gangs.
The Government’s draft child protection legislation passed its first Commons hurdle on Wednesday following a bitter Prime Minister’s Questions in which Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said failing to back a probe would fuel concerns about a “cover-up”.
The Conservatives had tabled the motion to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill demanding a new national inquiry into gangs which, if approved, would have prevented the legislation from making progress.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions (House of Commons/UK Parliament)
But MPs voted to reject the motion by 364 votes to 111, majority 253.
The division list showed that supporters of the amendment included 101 Conservatives, five Reform UK, two DUP, the TUV’s Jim Allister, UUP’s MP Robin Swann and Independent Alex Easton, and no Labour MPs.
The Bill later received a second reading without the need for a further formal vote, and will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.
The Prime Minister hit out at the Tory leader earlier on Wednesday over “lies and misinformation, and slinging of mud” which did not help victims of child sexual abuse.
He had urged Mrs Badenoch to drop her “wrecking amendment” to the Government’s wide-ranging Bill, which includes measures to protect vulnerable children such as tougher rules on home-schooling as well as changes to academies and private school regulation.
Sir Keir said 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.
“This morning, I met some of the victims and survivors of this scandal, and they were clear with me that they want action now, not the delay of a further inquiry,” he told the Commons.
The Tory leader hit back: “The Prime Minister called for nine inquiries in the last Parliament. Does he not see that by resisting this one, people will start to worry about a cover-up?”
The issue has become a political storm after X boss Elon Musk used his social media platform to launch a barrage of attacks on Sir Keir and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
In response to Labour’s opposition to calls for a national inquiry, Mr Musk called Sir Keir “Starmtrooper” and accused him of trying to cover up “terrible things”.
Mrs Badenoch’s amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill called for ministers “to develop new legislative proposals for children’s wellbeing including establishing a national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs”.
The move was always likely to be rejected in the Commons due to Labour’s massive majority, as the Government wants to roll out the 2022 recommendations made by Professor Alexis Jay’s inquiry rather than open a new probe.
Baroness Alexis Jay, chair of The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (Colin Whyman/IICSA)
The Conservatives accused Labour MPs of having “turned a blind eye to justice” for victims of grooming gangs after the motion, which would have derailed a key piece of Government legislation, was rejected in the Commons.
“It is disgusting that Keir Starmer has used his supermajority in Parliament to block a national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal,” shadow home secretary Chris Philp said.
“Labour MPs have put their Party ahead of getting to the truth and turned a blind eye to justice for the victims. Labour MPs will have to explain to the British people why they are against learning the truth behind the torture and rape of countless vulnerable girls.
“We will not let them forget this act of cowardice.”
Critics claim Sir Keir wants to avoid a national inquiry as it could put the focus on his time as director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.
The Prime Minister has defended his record, pointing out that he brought the “first major prosecution of an Asian grooming gang” and changed the approach to dealing with similar cases.
Prof Jay, who led the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse which reported in 2022, says “the time has passed” for another lengthy examination of grooming gangs.
On Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government would begin to implement Prof Jay’s call for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, with further details expected to be set out in the coming weeks.