Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that a statutory national inquiry into the grooming gang scandal will be launched, following growing calls from across the political spectrum. Speaking to reporters on his way to the G7 summit in Canada, Sir Keir said he had accepted a key recommendation made by Dame Louise Casey, who previously led a comprehensive review of the scandal that has deeply affected communities across the UK.
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The prime minister rejected claims of a political U-turn, explaining that he had been awaiting the outcome of Dame Louise’s audit before making a final decision. He noted that her initial position was against a national inquiry, but her recent findings prompted her to reconsider. “I have read every word of her report,” Starmer said. “This is the right thing to do, based on what she has now concluded.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch fiercely criticised the prime minister’s delay, accusing him of inaction and political indecision. She argued that Starmer had once dismissed Tory calls for an inquiry as “far-right”, only to reverse course months later. Badenoch added: “This must not be the end. Victims deserve swift justice, not a decade-long process.” She likened the move to Labour’s earlier reversal on winter fuel payments and challenged Starmer to apologise for the delay.
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Meanwhile, pressure for a national inquiry has also come from within Labour ranks. Rochdale MP Paul Waugh reiterated his support following the conviction of seven men in his constituency. He emphasised the need for statutory powers to compel witnesses and called for thorough investigations. “No party, no authority, no group should be beyond scrutiny,” he said. “True accountability demands it.”
