Everything you need to know as MPs vote on new grooming gangs inquiry - and why it will fail

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

The Conservatives say they will attempt to win parliamentary backing for a new inquiry into grooming gangs on Wednesday as Labour’s landmark bill for child safety reaches a crucial stage.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said her party will table an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to require a national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs.

Ahead of the debate at 4pm, Labour has responded by accusing the Conservatives of playing politics.

Education minister Bridget Phillipson said “the single biggest piece of children safeguarding legislation in a generation” was now liable to be sacrificed “on the altar of political opportunism”.

That’s because even if the Tories managed to persuade Labour MPs to vote for their amendment, the intervention is more likely to kill the Bill than bring forth any inquiry.

Here’s why:

What is happening today?

The Tory party will bring forward an amendment to the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to establish a “national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs”.

The efforts come after relentless interventions from Trump ally Elon Musk. The eccentric billionaire has written more than 200 posts on the issue since New Year’s Day, taking aim at the prime minister, Jess Phillips and others in government.

The renewed calls for an inquiry comes despite one of similar scope concluding its work in 2022, which made a number of recommendations. Ministers say that the Conservative government did not act on the findings at the time.

With the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching its second reading today, opposition members are able to bring forward amendments for all MPs to vote on.

For the latest updates ahead of today’s vote, follow The Independent’s live coverage

Will there be a new inquiry?

Not under this Bill.

Firstly, given Labour’s large majority in parliament, there is very little chance that many – or any – of their MPs will vote against the government on Wednesday. The party has pledged to act on the recommendations of the 2022 inquiry, with more details to be set out in the Crime and Policing Bill later this year.

But if passed somehow, the amendment would not spark a fresh inquiry into groom gangs under the Bill - it would instead kill the legislation. This is because amendments do not usually take place until after the second reading.

Opposition parties are allowed to table a ‘reasoned amendment’ but, due to a technicality of parliamentary procedure, these do not change the bill if passed. Instead, they kill it entirely.

Furthermore, it would be impossible to bring back the Bill again until after the next King’s Speech.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has criticsed the Tories over the amendment (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

It is also not a given that Speaker Lindsay Hoyle will select the amendment to be voted on in the first place. While amendments put forward by the leader of the opposition generally are, this would also usually be at the next stage of the legislative process.

Any amendments at this stage must give a specific reason for opposition to the bill. Basically, they must explain why they don’t want it to be made into law. The last time an amendment like this was successful was in 1986.

What does Labour’s bill for children say?

Introduced by the education secretary, the new legislation is focused on bolstering the protection of children.

One of the key measures is a change to homeschooling rules in the country. A compulsory Children Not in School register would be introduced for all homeschooled children, while parents will also have the automatic right to home educate their children.

It was introduced on the same day that Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother were sentenced to life in prison for the 10-year-old’s murder. Mr Justice Cavanagh said the case “starkly illustrates the dangers” of parents’ automatic right to homeschool children.

The government will also pilot a “single unique identifier number” for all children in or out of school, similar to a national insurance number. This is designed to assist authorities that are responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of children.