Bridget Phillipson calls out Robert Jenrick for his delayed response to grooming gangs, urging accountability for past inaction.
London: Bridget Phillipson didn’t hold back when she slammed Robert Jenrick for his recent comments about grooming gangs. She said he should “hang his head in shame” for only now calling for a public inquiry.
Phillipson pointed out that Jenrick, who was a minister in the Home Office, had plenty of chances to address this issue when the Tories were in power but chose not to. Now, with the Conservatives planning to vote against Labour’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, it seems like they’re trying to shift the focus back to grooming gangs.
Labour is focused on implementing recommendations from a previous inquiry led by Professor Alexis Jay, which reported in 2022. They’re not keen on starting a new inquiry, especially since they have a strong majority that will likely ensure the bill passes.
Emma Barnett from the Today programme highlighted Jenrick’s recent claims about needing to investigate 50 towns and cities. Phillipson responded, reminding everyone that Jenrick was silent on these issues when he had the chance to make a difference.
She emphasized that the Tories had 14 years to act on the recommendations from the Alexis Jay review but failed to do so. Phillipson accused them of playing politics with children’s safety, saying they only pretend to care now.
Jenrick faced tough questions about his record on this issue, with BBC Radio 4’s Nick Robinson pointing out that there’s no record of him raising concerns about grooming gangs during his time as a minister. Jenrick just kept saying he wrote about it last year, but that didn’t seem to cut it.
