Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, has defied Sir Keir Starmer by calling for a “limited national inquiry” into the grooming gang scandal. This marks a split between Burnham and the Prime Minister, who had previously ordered Labour MPs to vote against a national inquiry.
Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester that he believes “there is the case for a limited national inquiry that draws on reviews like the one that I commissioned and the one we’ve seen in Rotherham, the one we’ve seen in Telford, to draw out some of these national issues, and compel people to give evidence who then may have charges to answer and be held to account.”
This intervention from Burnham comes as Reform UK, which has led calls for a national inquiry, topped a national opinion poll for the first time, putting it joint first with Labour on 25% of the vote. The government’s position on not holding an inquiry appears to be crumbling, with a shadow minister saying “they know there’s no good argument against” a probe.
The Prime Minister did not participate in the vote on Wednesday evening, but Downing Street denied this meant Starmer was wavering in his belief that a new inquiry was unnecessary. However, the government’s stance has faced growing pressure, with Khalid Mahmood, a former Labour MP, also backing calls for an inquiry to provide “closure” for victims.
Elon Musk, the US tech billionaire, has repeatedly criticised Starmer over the issue on social media, and reports have emerged that he has even discussed with allies how the Prime Minister could be removed from office before the next general election. The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said Starmer was “right” to “call out” Musk for “spreading lies and misinformation.”
The grooming gang scandal continues to dominate the political agenda, with the government’s position appearing increasingly untenable in the face of growing calls for a comprehensive national inquiry.