Swathes of Labour MPs are in uproar over the party’s controversial grooming gangs U-turn after Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips pared back the Home Office’s plans for a series of locally-led inquiries.
Yesterday, ex-Equalities and Human Rights Commission boss Sir Trevor Phillips called the move “utterly shameful” as he warned that the decision was “obviously political” because of the “demographic of people involved”.
And in a private WhatsApp group for Home Office affairs, MPs have complained that the walk-back has left them “besieged” by constituents – and have fumed that Trevor Phillips’s remarks “are not helping”.
The Times reports that backbenchers Cat Eccles, Dr Allison Gardner, Antonia Bance and Dan Aldridge are among those to voice their outrage and demand answers – but in response, Phillips chose to attack “party-political misinformation”.
Dr Gardner said she would “appreciate” clarity as she claimed “Reform Facebook group infiltrators” were “going hard on this”.
While Bance added that her email inbox had been “besieged with accusations” from furious constituents.
The Home Office then stepped in with a response – but that prompted further complaints as MPs accused the department of not answering their questions. “So Trevor Phillips is right then?” Aldridge jabbed.
Jess Phillips later said: “There is far too much party-political misinformation about the action that is being taken – when everyone should be trying to support victims and survivors.
“We will not hesitate to go further, unlike the previous Government, who showed no interest in this issue over 14 years and did nothing to progress the recommendations from the seven-year national inquiry when they had the chance.”
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‘Not giving a running commentary!’ Yvette Cooper plays it cool after latest Donald Trump tariff twist
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has vowed not to give a “running commentary” on Donald Trump’s tariff U-turn after the President brought almost every country’s levies back down to 10 per cent.
Cooper said: “We are seeing changes all the time. We are seeing quite a lot of global instability… in the economy, we are seeing it also on security, on defence issues.
“But I think that just comes back to the approach that we have taken – it’s the plan for change the Prime Minister’s set out, maintaining that stability in the face of the different turbulences,” she told Sky News.
“We are not keeping a running commentary on different trade negotiations, on the different approaches that other governments are taking.
“What we are doing is just being really steady about this. We have made clear our principles and our approach. We want to see a reduction of trade barriers and we want to negotiate good arrangements that are in the UK’s interests.”
‘The madness continues!’ Tice left incredulous after ‘vile’ Hamas SUES Labour under ‘ludicrous’ ECHR rules
‘This is complete insanity, and another reason why we must leave the ludicrous ECHR,’ Tice spat
PA
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has been left incredulous after Hamas launched a legal application to be removed from Britain’s list of proscribed terrorist groups.
The appeal, submitted on behalf of Hamas by London-based law firm Riverway Law, said it was an “opportunity for the UK to change its course on the state’s historic complicity in settler colonialism” – and has invoked the controversial ECHR to make its case.
This morning, Tice said in a video message: “The madness continues! I’m not sure if it’s April Fool’s Day – but seriously, that vile antisemitic murderous terror group Hamas are appealing using, guess what, the European Convention on Human Rights, against their designation in the UK as a terror group. Unbelievable.
“I do hope that all those Labour MPs that rush to criticise Israel at the slightest provocation… I do hope they also condemn this as absolute madness.
“What happens if the ECHR says they’re not a terror group? Will Keir Starmer, as our Prime Minister, abide by that? Or will he ignore such an ECHR ruling?
“This is complete insanity, and another reason why we must leave the ludicrous ECHR.”
Home Office AGAIN slaps down grooming gang inquiry ‘cancellation’ claims – FULL STATEMENT
The Home Office’s statement in response to The Times’s reports of Labour MPs’ uproar reads as follows:
“It is wholly wrong to claim the government is cancelling local child sexual abuse inquiries. We will pursue justice for victims without fear or favour, and claims we would not do so to avoid offending any group are false.
“This government is taking decisive action to finally tackle grooming gangs: strengthening the child sexual exploitation police taskforce, giving victims more powers to have their cases reviewed and making it a criminal offence to cover up any report of child sexual abuse.
“We have also commissioned a rapid national audit, led by Baroness Casey, to uncover the true scale of grooming gangs in the UK today, including looking at ethnicity.
“And we are providing £5million to help support local inquiries so we can deliver the meaningful change victims deserve.”
Starmer told to ‘get a grip and keep Britons safe’ ahead of ‘bobbies on the beat’ police announcement
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to “get a grip” and “keep the British people safe” ahead of a major police announcement which will see the Prime Minister push for 13,000 more “bobbies on the beat” by 2029.
Starmer is expected to unveil the plan later today – with fears rising over a lack of visible police presence and soaring street crime.
And Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Thanks to Labour’s jobs tax, our police services face a £118million shortfall, putting over 1,800 police jobs at risk.
“What’s more, the Metropolitan Police are cutting 1,700 jobs and services, including moving officers out of schools, making our streets and schools less safe.
“The previous Conservative government delivered record police officers, but law and order is taking a back seat under Labour.
“They must urgently get a grip to ensure our police have the resources they need to cut crime and keep the British people safe.”
READ THE FULL STORY ON STARMER’S POLICE SPEECH HERE
Fewer than two days remain to register to vote ahead of crunch local elections
Fewer than two days remain until you can register to vote in May 1’s local and mayoral elections taking place across England.
Anyone not yet registered, or who is not sure about their eligibility, has until 11.59pm on Friday to submit an application at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
A total of 1,641 council seats in England are up for grabs on May 1 across 23 local authorities – and at the same time, voters will pick four regional mayors, two local mayors, and an MP for Runcorn & Helsby – where ex-Labour MP resigned his seat after a common assault conviction.