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Keir Starmer blasted the Tories for using the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to try to force a vote on a national inquiry into grooming gangs
Keir Starmer has accused the Tories of putting “the desire for retweets” over grooming gangs before keeping kids safe.
The Prime Minister blasted Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for using the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to try to force a vote on a national inquiry into grooming gangs – which risks derailing the legislation. Under Commons rules, an amendment at this stage can stop a bill from progressing.
The amendment has almost zero chance of passing because of Labour’s massive Commons majority. But Mr Starmer told the Mirror: “It’s a shocking tactic, completely short sighted.
“I would implore any right-thinking Tory MP to vote for the bill because this would kill the bill, this would kill the legislation. It would kill the provisions for a unique identifying number that will stop children falling through the cracks.”
The bill aims to protect vulnerable kids, with measures for a home-schooling register and a unique identifying number for every child to stop children disappearing from sight.
“No MP should be voting down children’s safeguarding measures. It’s shocking they are even thinking about this as a tactic. It’s the elevation of the desire for retweets over any real interest in the safeguarding of children.” He urged sensible Tories to “think twice” before backing the move.
Mr Starmer pointed to the tragic case of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who was subjected to a two-year campaign of torture by her father and stepmother, was was removed from primary school to be home-schooled four months before she died. “If you think about the Sara Sharif case, we know how important it is to take these measures,” he added.
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The Tories are pushing for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal amid renewed outrage, which has been inflamed by Elon Musk. Shadow education minister Neil O’Brien claimed the Government was “blocking a full national inquiry”. But the Government has rejected calls for a fresh probe, pointing to the seven-year Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which reported in 2022.
Professor Alexis Jay, who led the inquiry, said that “we’ve had enough of inquiries, consultations and discussions” and victims needed action.
Musk has ramped up his war of words against Mr Starmer in recent days, with a flurry of tweets about the handling of grooming gangs in England. But the PM refused to be drawn into a fresh row with the tech billionaire.
“We must absolutely focus on the victims, particularly when it comes to grooming and sexual exploitation,” he said. “They must be the single most important thing. It’s a sickening crime and that’s why our focus has to be on action, action, action.”
Instead he turned on politicians, saying robust debate “has got to be based on truth not lies”. He added: “If we lose that anchor, it’s a slippery slope which leads to less and less people having trust in politics and having any sense that politics is a force for good.”