Grooming gangs inquiry is welcome, but too late
Spectator (UK)1 day
UK Launches National Grooming Gangs Inquiry
Above: Yvette Cooper in Liverpool, England, on May 27, 2025. Image copyright: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
For too long, previous governments failed to act decisively on group-based child sexual exploitation by numerous perpetrators, letting countless victims down. Starmer and Labour have acted sensibly, commissioning a rapid national audit before accepting all 12 of Casey's recommendations. This government will right the wrongs of the past and make sure these tragedies will never happen again.
Right narrative
For years, politicians have covered up grooming gang crimes predominantly committed by Asian and Pakistani Muslim men against White working-class girls out of fear of being labeled racist. Victims were ignored, abusers protected, and officials stayed silent. This was a systemic, politically driven cover-up, and those who are complicit in this dark stain on British history must face justice.