UK politics - live: Tories lose vote on grooming gangs inquiry as Starmer hints at U-turn
The amendment to Labour’s flagship Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill received 111 Ayes and 364 Noes
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Your support makes all the difference.A Conservative Party amendment calling for a national inquiry on grooming gangs has been rejected in the Commons.
The amendment to Labour’s flagship Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill received 111 Ayes and 364 Noes, majority 253.
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”.
Prime minister Keir Starmer 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.
Sir Keir’s official spokesman faced questions about the possibility of a national inquiry after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips told Sky News “nothing is off the table” in dealing with the scandal.
The spokesman said the PM and his minister were of the same view, and insisted the Government’s response is “rooted in what victims want”.
He added: “But as the Prime Minister said on Monday we will always remain open-minded. We will always listen to local authorities who want to take forward inquiries, or indeed further allegations that need to be followed up.”
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Conservative MP calls for Lucy Letby retrial
Conservative former minister Sir David Davis has called for a retrial of child serial killer Lucy Letby.
During an adjournment debate in the Commons he told MPs: “There is case in justice, in my view, for a retrial. But there is a problem: one of the problems we face is that much of the evidence was available at the time.
“What I have described is an expert analysis of the case notes, which were there at the time, but it was simply not presented to the jury. This means the Court of Appeal can dismiss it, basically saying the defence should have presented it at the initial trial.
“It is in essence saying, ‘if your defence team weren’t good enough to present this evidence, hard luck, you stay banged-up for life’.
“Now that may be judicially convenient, but it’s not justice.”
Sir David said earlier in the debate: “There was no hard evidence against Letby, nobody saw her do anything untoward. The doctor’s gut feeling was based on a coincidence she was on shift for a number of deaths, and this is important, although far from all of them, far from all of them.
“It was built on a poor understanding of probabilities, which could translate later into an influential but spectacularly flawed piece of evidence.”
Letby, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Farage says Reform will host inquiry after Tory amendment loses
Nigel Farage has confirmed that Reform UK will “absolutely” work to set up its own inquiry into grooming gangs.
He told GB News: “Oh, absolutely yes. If the Government does not give in, we don’t get a proper inquiry into this, and goodness knows, we do need one, then we will raise the money and we will appoint or find some sort of independent retired judges to run the thing.
“Yeah, no, no, we’re not going to back off from this. The country deserves to know the truth about, firstly, the extent of what happened, and secondly, the extent of the cover up, and who was involved in that cover up.”
All Labour MPs respect whip on vote
The division list showed no Labour MPs voted in favour of the Conservative amendment.
The 111 MPs who supported the amendment included 101 Conservatives, five Reform UK, two DUP, the TUV’s Jim Allister, UUP’s MP Robin Swann and Independent Alex Easton.
Chris Philp says Tories will not let Labour ‘forget this act of cowardice’ after amendment loses
The Tories accused Labour MPs of having “turned a blind eye to justice for the victims” of grooming gangs after a Conservative bid to launch another national inquiry was rejected in a Commons vote.
The Opposition amendment, if approved, would have prevented the Government’s Bill aimed at protecting children from making progress.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “It is disgusting that Keir Starmer has used his supermajority in Parliament to block a national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal.
“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.”
Labour’s flagship education bill to get second reading
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill has cleared its first hurdle after MPs gave it a second reading.
A Conservative amendment designed to block the Bill, and including a call for a national inquiry on grooming gangs, was rejected by by 364 votes to 111, majority 253.
The Bill later received a second reading without the need for a further formal vote.
Shouts of “no” could be heard when MPs were asked if the Bill should receive a second reading and a division was initially called but it was later cancelled.
The Bill will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.
MPs reject Tory bid to launch another grooming gang inquiry
MPs have rejected a Conservative bid to push for another national inquiry into grooming gangs.
The amendment to the Government’s draft child protection legislation was put to a Commons’ vote 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 amendment 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.
But MPs voted rejected the motion by 364 votes to 111, majority 253.
Everything you need to know as MPs vote on new grooming gangs inquiry - and why it will fail
Everything you need to know as MPs vote on grooming gangs inquiry
The Tories are pushing for a new grooming inquiry in an amendment to Labour’s child safety Bill - but even if it passes, it’s unlikely a inquiry will be launched
Labour MP expresses disgust at remarks in Commons by Reform MP
Labour’s Rotherham MP Sarah Champion became visibly emotional in a speech to MPs as she expressed “disgust” at remarks in the Commons by Reform MP Rupert Lowe.
Praising the children’s safety bill as addressing “a lot of the underlying problems that we have within our schools, education and indeed protection of children”, Ms Champion said: “I’ve got to say, I feel disgusted by what the honourable gentleman has just said.
“Can you imagine if you are a victim or survivor listening to that? I’m sure his intent is to get to the truth and get justice, but the language – please think about who hears our words.”
In a lengthy tirade during which he refused to give way to other MPs, Mr Lowe had urged the government to deport foreign nationals found guilty of grooming crimes, and claimed that female family members who were aware of relatives’ crimes “are just as guilty as the rapists themselves”.
Kemi Badenoch urged to retract PMQs claim over definition of Islamophobia
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has called on Kemi Badenoch to retract her claim that a proposed definition of Islamophobia included “talking about sex groomers” as an example.
Zara Mohammed, secretary-general of the MCB, said: “Let me be absolutely clear – British Muslims unequivocally support the thorough investigation and prosecution of all child abusers, regardless of background. The MCB will support yet another investigation if proponents can explain why previous inquiries costing millions have not given them the answers they are looking for.
“Those who seek to weaponise this issue against Muslims have already received answers they didn’t want from previous inquiries. Yet they persist in pursuing a divisive agenda rather than focusing on protecting children through evidence-based approaches.
“What we will not accept is the cynical exploitation of child protection issues to demonise British Muslims. Mrs Badenoch’s comments represent a new low in the Conservative Party’s persistent refusal to tackle anti-Muslim prejudice within its ranks.
“The Opposition leader should retract her misleading claims and focus instead on supporting evidence-based approaches to protecting all children in our society.”
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