Badenoch accuses government of failure on grooming gangs

Kemi Badenoch has accused the government of breaking its promise to set up five local inquiries into grooming gangs despite pledging to do so.

The Conservative leader said Sir Keir Starmer had promised £5m to fund five locally-led investigations into grooming gangs but delivered just one, in Oldham.

During Prime Ministers Questions, Badenoch suggested Sir Keir was "dragging his heels" on inquiries to shield Labour-run councils from scandal.

Sir Keir said Labour were "investing more in delivering truth and justice" for victims of grooming gangs than the Conservatives had during "14 long years" in power.

Ministers have been facing growing demands to reveal which areas are running grooming gang inquires alongside the review in Oldham, and a three-month audit of national evidence being led by government troubleshooter Baroness Louise Casey.

Earlier this month Tom Crowther, the barrister helping to develop the schemes, suggested local inquiries into grooming gangs had stalled since they were announced in January.

Crowther, who chaired the inquiry into child sex abuse in Telford, Shropshire, gave evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee at the start of April and told MPs he had asked a government official "do you still want me":[]}