Labour commits to a rapid review of grooming gangs

Home secretary also announces five new local inquiries

- DAVID MADDOX KATE DEVLIN HOLLY BANCROFT

Yvette Cooper has announced a “rapid national audit” into the scale and nature of grooming gangs across the country amid growing calls from MPs for a new inquiry.

The home secretary also pledged five new local inquiries backed by government funding in a statement to the Commons yesterday.

The “no holds barred” rapid review, which will report within three months, will be led by crossbench peer Louise Casey and will “look at the cultural and societal drivers for this type of offending”, Ms Cooper said.

The partial climbdown comes after three Labour MPs from the North West and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham broke ranks to demand a rethink.

Last week the government, in particular Sir Keir Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, came under furious attack from right-wing figures, led by X/Twitter owner Elon Musk, after it decided not to hold a national inquiry into the scandal.

But with pressure mounting the government has instead agreed to a series of local inquiries into failures, with an additional budget of £5m.

However, those demanding a full national inquiry made it clear that the government needed to make a full U-turn and the local inquiries were not enough.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called the announcement “wholly inadequate” and said the local probes would not have the power to compel witnesses to appear.