The Labour Party’s opposition to a national inquiry into grooming gangs is nothing short of a disgrace. For Sir Keir Starmer, a man who once served as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), to lead this resistance is a betrayal of the victims, their families, and the British public who rightly demand answers. This refusal to confront the systemic failings that allowed these heinous crimes to persist reeks of moral cowardice and political expediency.
Grooming gangs have inflicted unimaginable suffering on thousands of young girls across the country. For decades, victims were ignored, dismissed, or outright silenced by the very institutions meant to protect them. Police forces, social services, and local councils turned a blind eye, paralysed by a toxic mix of incompetence, fear of being labelled racist, and sheer indifference.
These failings weren’t isolated incidents; they were systemic. Yet, instead of supporting a comprehensive inquiry to uncover the full truth, Labour has chosen to bury its head in the sand, perpetuating the very culture of denial that enabled these atrocities.
It is worth noting, however, that the Conservatives are not without blame. They have been in power for 14 years – ample time to initiate a national inquiry into these appalling crimes. Their failure to do so until now raises serious questions about their commitment to justice. While their call for an inquiry is welcome, it is long overdue, and their inaction over the past decade has undoubtedly contributed to the continued erosion of public trust in the political system. They are not to be trusted either.
Keir Starmer has been questioned over his record as DPP over the grooming scandal.
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Still, Labour’s opposition to the inquiry is especially galling. Keir Starmer’s record as DPP deepens the betrayal. During his tenure from 2008 to 2013, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) oversaw some of the very cases where victims were dismissed or disbelieved. Survivors have repeatedly spoken about being failed by the authorities during this time.
As Elon Musk recently pointed out on X, in the UK, serious crimes such as rape require CPS approval for the police to charge suspects. Musk asked bluntly: “Who was the head of the CPS when rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice? Keir Starmer, 2008–2013.”
Labour’s position is not just cowardly; it is deeply insulting to the millions of Britons who are appalled by these crimes. To dismiss calls for an inquiry as pandering to the ‘far right’ is a grotesque mischaracterisation. Wanting to understand why institutions failed so catastrophically is not extremism – it is common sense.
By conflating legitimate concerns with far-right rhetoric, Labour insults the intelligence of the public and alienates those who have already lost faith in the political system.
This issue transcends party politics. The grooming gang scandals have exposed a profound failure of governance at every level. Without a national inquiry, we cannot hope to learn the lessons needed to prevent such horrors from happening again. Localised reviews, while important, lack the scope and authority to address the systemic nature of the problem. Only a national inquiry can provide the accountability and transparency that victims and the public deserve.
Moreover, Labour’s refusal to back the inquiry risks perpetuating the very culture of silence that allowed these crimes to flourish. Survivors have repeatedly spoken of being ignored by authorities who were too afraid to act. By opposing an inquiry, Labour sends a chilling message to victims: your suffering is not worth confronting uncomfortable truths. It is an utter disgrace.
Labour must reconsider its position on the proposed national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.
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The Conservative Party is right to urge Labour MPs to “think long and hard about which side of history they want to be on.” This is not a question of left or right; it is a question of justice. Labour’s decision to block a national inquiry risk being remembered as a shameful moment of moral abdication.
The victims of grooming gangs have already been failed too many times. They were failed by the police who ignored their pleas for help, by social services that dismissed their abuse, and by a justice system that too often looked the other way. To fail them again by refusing to investigate these failings on a national scale would be unforgivable.
Labour must reconsider its position. Sir Keir Starmer, in particular, must ask himself whether his loyalty lies with political expediency or with the victims who were so horrifically betrayed. The public will not forget where Labour stood on this issue. And neither will history.