What ever you think of him as a politician this is very sad personal news . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czjdw3vjy82o
So Starmer has now said that those concerned about the systematic rape and abuse of young girls and women across 50 towns in the UK are ‘far right bandwagon jumpers’. How out of touch can this idiot be?
Yeah that would be very out of touch. But luckily he didn't say that. He said: There are people on the far right whipping this stuff up. And the bandwagon jumpers he's referring to are clearly Tory politicians, not members of the public. Starmer's very clearly not saying everyone concerned about it is far right. Only the people concerned about it know if their politics are far right. I'm concerned about it and I'm not. Hence I'm not being accused of being far right by Starmer. It's slightly telling that some people feel they are though. This is the same social media nonsense in the summer when he didn't say everyone concerned by asylum seekers/immigration was a 'far right thug', only those out literally rioting were, but that was what was regurgitated time and time again on X and amplified by people like Musk.
I think this rape gangs business sums up how poorly served we are by politicians. The Tories spent their time in office squabbling among themselves and did bugger all about it. Now 2TK is dribbling on about the far right and bandwagon jumpers while the Home Secretary introduces some utterly needless new laws in an attempt to be seen to be on top of the situation. No doubt we'll be treated to the usual infantile scene at PMQs when Kemi (who I've gone right off of) and Sir Keir poke their tongues out at each other and achieve nothing. Get rid of the lot of them.
And it's taken an American with a personality disorder talking sh1te on social media to get the useless bunch of wan kers off their ar5e5. Like it needed a bloody play on ITV to get them to do anything about the post office scandal!!
If you want to be picky, you can say he actually said 'those that are calling for an inquiry are jumping on the band wagon of the far right'. Who is he calling far-right? I am sure there are millions of people up and down the country that would like an independent inquiry into why rape gangs have been allowed to operate up and down the country for over 40 years and why victims were seen as 'unreliable' when they testified. Starmer himself admitted he got that wrong when he was DPP.
No, but he's calling members of the public far right in the first instance!!! Is it far right to want an independent inquiry as to why this was facilitated and covered up!?!?! Come on, you're not stupid!
We've had several enquiries, so if you are clamouring for another one, don't be led by the nose by the Daily Mail and GB News demanding more enquiries, but demand the implementation of the Jay report. You're being (willingly) played. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/07/child-abuse-inquiry-uk-alexis-jay-former-chair
A certain "Baroness Jay" has also been saying on R4 that another inquiry isn't required but implantation of something called the "Jay Report" should have its recommendations implemented.
I note that Alexis Jay who published her report after a full inquiry in 2022 has stated another inquiry would be counterproductive and that what is required is the recommendations of her report be implemented. I would totally share your concerns were that not to occur in the immediate future. EDIT: same point made in the 2 posts preceding this one.
Why's that a problem though? There definitely are members of the public who have far right political views. Probably number in the tens of thousands, so they're a small minority. But, for whatever reason, they have an outsized megaphone platform on social media currently. And they in turn are driving a lot of the news and political agenda at the moment, so they're attracting attention. But history shows us extremists (far left and far right) make bigger gains when they hide themselves behind populist causes, so that's what they do. The PM is right to call that out. No, I don't think it's far right to want an independent inquiry. I think it's pretty pointless, given we've spent £200m and several years on a wide-reaching one that only finished in 2022, and nothing's changed since, but that's a practical rather than political stance. I suspect 99% of the people calling for one haven't read a word of the Jay inquiry reports and wouldn't read or watch anything of a new one either. Then in 10 years time someone on social media will clip a bit of text from a report and they'll start shouting about a cover up or something.
Also from experience safeguarding attitudes around children and young people are night and day improved compared to what they were even 20 years ago. Perfect? Nope. But I remember in the police in 2009(ish), there were teenage girls bunking out of care homes every other night dressed up to the nines and it was known they were off on the train to London or Birmingham to meet men, get drugs, booze etc and go to parties. And society didn't give a crap. It's fine for people to be up in arms about it now, but the same grandmothers being vox popped on the 10 o'clock news last night saying something should be done about those who 'covered it up' need to look at themselves first. Because plenty of people ignored those girls as they got a bus to the train station, walked alone at night, hung around with older men in supermarket car parks, sat on a train alone for an hour to London... it's no use saying "but the police, but social services, but the school..." when everyday people didn't notice or care about what was right under their noses either. When these girls were reported missing regularly we weren't exactly inundated with calls from concerned members of the public who happened to spot them! Did these people not think it was a bit odd to see a 14yo girl with thick layers of makeup and dressed, to be very blunt, like you'd googled a picture of a stereotypical Hollywood movie hooker? Apparently not. Our whole society was / is sick!
Early Congratulations to Bubble, he has nearly managed to call Bingo early doors. Only taken 8 hours for 80% of The Politics Gang of Five to post the predictable messages, argue over the meaning of one word, play abit of Whatabout, defend the indefensible, muddy the waters. Usual playbook. I'm sure he'll be getting that full house once the Time Zones line up and those that dont live here but dont want anyone interfering with foreign countries politics, will join the comrades. They never even circled the wagons that quick to try and bully Henry. Tip my Hat to Bubble.
Is there anything stopping the government implementing the last enquiry's recommendations and ordering a new one?
Nope. They can hold inquiries until the cows come home. The last one took 7 years though and apparently wasn't good / wide enough, so who knows how long this all-singing, all-dancing national one people seem to be asking for would take. I find it quite bizarre as public inquiries were traditionally the things governments set up to put a problem out to pasture. A tactic to try and kill an issue, knowing barely anyone reads the reports at the other end anyway. Why do campaigners want another one rather than action now?
I think there should an inquiry in to the inquiries. 7 years and 200 million quid to get the last one out the door??? A half competent writer could knock pretty much the same thing together in about 2 months for a fraction of the cost
And in fairness some of those calling for it seem to already know the answer they want. Maybe the government could charge them and in return they get to write whatever report with whatever conclusions they want? Could be a money-spinner for Rachel.
I s'pose that the only thing the opposition can do is call for an enquiry. I mean that pr1ck Hendick can hardly call for the full implementation of the recommendations in the Jay report(s) that he, as a previous home-secretary in the Tory government that actually commissioned them...
He wasn't quite Home Secretary but he was a minister in that department. This from The Times this morning:
Good idea. Maybe get the public to vote for their favourite? Sounds like just the thing to replace Strictly
Anything to get rid of that is a winner with me. In fact I asked ChatGPT for possible gameshow names: "Inquiry Quest" Contestants embark on a journey to uncover hidden truths and solve mysteries "Under the Microscope" Teams dig deep into controversial topics to find the facts and win points. "Behind Closed Doors" Contestants try to piece together what happened in secret meetings or historical events. "Red Tape Rumble" A comedic game where players navigate bureaucracy to get to the truth. "Whistleblower Challenge" Contestants uncover clues and decide when to blow the whistle or keep digging.
Nick Robinson pulled him up on this - he had searched Hansard of "Jenrick" and "grooming" and/or "gangs"...
Yes but poor old Robert WROTE something about it somewhere and got shouted at for doing so. Was he too scared to actually raise the issue within government when he was a minister, or even try to initiate a debate about it in the Commons? It does seem a bit rich that politicians who did absolutely zero to implement recommendations of a 7-year gestation public inquiry should now demand yet another such inquiry that will result in the can being kicked down the road for another 5+ years. Rather than suggesting Starmer has ‘something to hide’, maybe it’s them.
This lays bare our obsession with long, costly inquiries that lead to little or no change... 17 on the go as we speak! https://thecritic.co.uk/no-more-bloody-inquiries/
It is rather astonishing that these grooming gangs apparently only started operating for years in the last 6 months, following Labour's win. UEA already hit the nail on the head. No point having another inquiry, just execute on the findings of the recent one that is still well within time relevancy.
No great surprise this is it ? Been under pressure for a while . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crmnjjm9j12t
The findings need to be executed, plus more safeguards put in place to make sure that this vile crime stops and young people are kept safe. Any enquiry has to be around the failings of the safeguarding system and why those people who did know, didn't report it. If you work with young people, professionally or as a volunteer, it is a legal obligation to report anything that you see, hear or are made aware of. The reason this has gone on for so long is that the reporting and accepting of responsibility didn't happen. There needs to be a full report on who knew, who was made aware, who didn't take action, who passed it on and ultimately were any of those people involved directly or indirectly. If the safeguarding procedures were followed as they are meant to be, so much of this could have been prevented.
But surely a public inquiry won't deliver what you want given the scale of what's being alleged here? I think it could very literally take 20-30 years to get down into the weeds of who said what to who in a care home or police station or wherever on a dark night in some random town in 2002. And that's assuming you could get all the key people on oath (if they're still alive or whatever). And what corroborating evidence do you think would be found? These people weren't sat around recording their conversations or keeping notes. It'll be a complete tangle of 'he said, she said' stuff and a heap of hearsay. The whole thing sounds like a lawyer's paradise to me. They'll be coining it in for years and politicians will just keep saying they can't possibly act further until the inquiry reports back.
And ????? We are talking about kids being systematically raped. Aren't you a parent ? So what if it takes years. Sometimes the blinkered should think of country not party. What a hill to die on.
That's the key point for me. We know enough now to act. The Jay report has several recommendations for the government to carry out but these would most likely be delayed if there were another inquiry. If anything, those calling for another national inquiry are helping the grooming gangs! I also find it telling that so many white men online will aggressively attack Pakistani grooming gangs while staying suspiciously quiet about the majority of these attacks which are carried out by gangs populated by....white men. All exploitation of young girls, and boys, needs to end now. Another talking shop will just kick it down the road for, as you say, decades, allowing the grooming gangs, from all racial backgrounds, to continue their evil activities. I would favour implementing ALL the Jay recommendations, especially the criminality of not reporting these heinous crimes. And, if necessary, doing local inquiries in those areas not covered by Jay where it has since emerged these gangs have operated. Unfortunately too many are taken in by the racist shouty voices that are in it for their own benefit rather than focusing on how we can protect the victims, both now and in the future, as quickly and effectively as possible.
