Andy Burnham defends inquiries into child exploitation while welcoming national review discussions
Greater Manchester: So, Andy Burnham is really backing the inquiries into child sexual exploitation in his area. He’s been pretty vocal about it, saying he’s open to talks about a national review.
In a chat on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Burnham called out other politicians for making big statements without actually caring about the review he kicked off back in 2017. This was all about the shocking claims from the BBC documentary, The Betrayed Girls.
The independent review dug into grooming issues in places like Manchester, Oldham, and Rochdale. It found that local authorities really dropped the ball when it came to protecting kids from these awful gangs.
When asked about calls for a national inquiry, Burnham pointed out that there’s already a major inquiry happening. He mentioned that there’s been a solid report on what went down in Oldham, and it’s led to a big police investigation with arrests and charges.
He also took a jab at Elon Musk, who said safeguarding minister Jess Phillips should be in prison for not letting the Home Office lead a public inquiry into Oldham. Phillips responded by saying Oldham needs to follow other towns and start its own inquiry into past abuse.
Burnham reminded everyone that his 2017 inquiry led to reports on Manchester, Oldham, and Rochdale. He’s now in the final stages of this inquiry, checking if the public can trust that things are being handled properly.
He even defended Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who faced criticism for not doing enough to tackle these gangs when he was director of public prosecutions. Burnham said Starmer made important changes to ensure victims were taken seriously and their voices were heard.
In the end, Burnham is all for discussing whether a national inquiry is needed. But he’s frustrated with politicians who didn’t care about the investigation he started but are now making a fuss about it.
