Jess Phillips has mentioned “nothing is off the table” when coping with the grooming gangs scandal – together with a brand new nationwide inquiry if victims need one.
The safeguarding minister informed Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that she would hearken to victims on a brand new panel that was introduced by the federal government this week.
“Nothing is off the table,” she mentioned.
“And if the victims come forward to me in this victims panel and they say, ‘actually, we think there needs to be a national inquiry into this’, I’ll listen to them.”
Politics newest: Tories informed to ‘put up or shut up’
Her feedback come days after it emerged she had rejected calls from Oldham Council to carry a authorities inquiry into grooming gangs within the city, and mentioned the council ought to fee one as an alternative.
That has led to tech billionaire Elon Musk attacking her and Sir Keir Starmer for not holding a nationwide inquiry and accusing the prime minister of being “complicit” within the abuse.
Professor Alexis Jay completed an eight-year nationwide inquiry into little one sexual abuse in 2022 and set out suggestions for the federal government.
Learn extra:
What occurred within the grooming gangs scandal?
Why the Tories’ makes an attempt to drive inquiry gained’t work
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The Conservatives tabled an modification to the Youngsters’s Safeguarding and Faculties Invoice on Wednesday to require a statutory inquiry into grooming gangs.
Nevertheless, Training Secretary Bridget Phillipson informed Sky Information the Tories “don’t care about children” because the modification might forestall your entire invoice from going ahead.
She mentioned: “The measures that I’m setting out right this moment and the laws in some ways go additional as a result of it places a requirement on all councils to have groups working to maintain kids protected.
“And the bandwagon jumpers which have come alongside in latest days, they don’t care about kids, they don’t care about ensuring that we cease this and we take motion.
“They had years to do it and they didn’t do it.”
The Conservatives additionally rejected a name from Oldham Council for a authorities inquiry in 2022.
You’ll be able to hearken to Beth’s full interview with Jess Phillips in a particular episode of Electoral Dysfunction launched on Thursday.
