Keir Starmer blocks national inquiry into child grooming gangs as Badenoch skewers PM for risking ‘cover-up’
KEMI Badenoch’s bid for a national inquiry into child rape gangs was tonight blocked by Labour MPs.
Sir Keir Starmer wielded his majority to easily defeat a Tory amendment calling for a fresh probe into the grooming scandal.
Some 364 MPs voted to throw out her amendment, dwarfing the 111 in favour – a majority of 253.
Tory 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.”
The PM insisted it was time for “action” instead of the “delay of a further inquiry” and pledged a series of measures to protect kids.
His flagship Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would have also collapsed had Ms Badenoch’s amendment been allowed to stand.
Nigel Farage supported the Tory bid but accused Ms Badenoch’s outrage as “insincere” given she did not act as a minister.
The PM has dismissed growing demands for a new inquiry, insisting a previous investigation has already uncovered the horrors that shook a series of northern towns.
But later his spokesman appeared to leave the door open for a probe, saying the government “will always remain open-minded” and “listen to local authorities who want to take forward inquiries”.
The Tory leader and Sir Keir locked horns over the grooming scandal – each accusing the other of failing to take action.
In a heated PMQs spat, Ms Badenoch said: “The Prime Minister called for nine inquiries in the last parliament. Does he not feel that by resisting this one, people will start to worry about a cover-up.”
Her remarks echoed the attacks by Elon Musk who accused Sir Keir of denying an inquiry “because he is hiding terrible things”.
The animated Labour leader hit back at his Tory rival for taking a “short-sighted, misguided, bandwagon-jumping approach”.
He said victims of the rape gangs scandal “want action now, not the delay of a further inquiry”.
Sir Keir warned: “The Jay inquiry, the last national inquiry was seven years which would take us with a further inquiry to 2031, I think action is what’s required.”
The PM said Ms Badenoch had not once spoken in the Commons about the scandal, accusing her of just “tweeting and talking”.
Ms Badenoch blasted back: “Be a leader, not a lawyer. We know that people were scared to tell the truth because they thought they would be called racist. If we want to stop this from ever happening again, we cannot be afraid.”
She added: “It is very possible to have shorter inquiries, especially if they are covering areas that have not been looked at yet.”
US billionaire Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, forced the scandal back into the spotlight with incessant tweets and attacks on Labour figures.