Nigel Farage accused Sir Keir Starmer of a cover-up over the grooming gangs scandal following a major Daily Express expose. The Reform UK leader suggested the Prime Minister is trying to postpone a proper inquiry until after the next election or sabotage it altogether.
He said the ever-worsening scandal should be the last straw for “this morally corrupt Labour government.” His fierce criticism comes as pressure intensifies on Sir Keir over his handling of the inquiry. It also follows a joint Express/MyLondon probe into whether rape gangs have been operating in London.
Our investigation forced the Metropolitan Police to make a major U-turn by admitting for the first time it has a “very significant number” of investigations into grooming gangs.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Met had previously claimed to have “no reports” of Rochdale or Rotherham-style rape gangs in the capital, with Mr Khan suggesting there was “no indication” they exist.
Writing in this newspaper, Mr Farage said: “For decades, Labour authorities and police in English towns and cities covered up the rape of thousands of young British girls by gangs of largely Muslim men of Pakistani origin.
“It was one of the greatest scandals in modern British history.
“It will be an even bigger scandal if the Labour government tries to sacrifice justice for the victims again, in a desperate bid to save its own skin at the ballot box.”
During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of a cover-up over the grooming gangs inquiry and demanded he sack safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
In fiery clashes she said ministers had been waging a “briefing war against survivors”.
It comes after four women quit the Home Office victims’ panel in protest, accusing ministers of trying to water down the inquiry and downplay the racial and religious motives behind their abuse.
Fiona Goddard, one of those who resigned, said Ms Phillips should step down after she publicly denied survivors’ claims that the inquiry could be expanded to cover wider child sexual abuse.
Ms Goddard later produced official consultation papers showing participants were asked if the inquiry should “take a broader approach”.
At PMQs, Mrs Badenoch said: “Four victims on the rape gang survivors’ panel have resigned and they resigned because they’ve lost all confidence in the Government’s inquiry. So I’m giving my first question to one of them – to Fiona.
“She said, ‘being dismissed and contradicted by a minister when you’re telling the truth takes you right back to that feeling of not being believed all over again’.
“Fiona’s question is simple: ‘What’s the point in speaking up if we’re just going to be called liars?’”
Sir Keir promised the inquiry “is not and will never be watered down”.
He also told the victims that should “they wish to return, the door will always be open”, adding: “But even if they do not, we owe it to them and to Fiona and to the country to answer the concerns that they have raised.
“The inquiry is not and will never be watered down.
“Its scope will not change. It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders and we will find the right person to chair the inquiry.”
Mrs Badenoch hit back, accusing the PM of trying to “downplay the racial and religious motivations” behind the abuse, adding: “Aren’t the victims right when they call it a cover-up?”
She also asked whether Ms Phillips still had the confidence of the Prime Minister.
Quoting the survivor, she said the safeguarding minister “needs to be removed because I don’t think her conduct during this has been acceptable for the position that she holds”.
“The member for Birmingham Yardley has clearly lost the confidence of the victims. Does she still have the confidence of the Prime Minister?,” she added.
Sir Keir said: “I respect the views of all the survivors and there are different views, I accept that.
“But the safeguarding minister has probably more experience than any other person in this House in dealing with violence against women and girls.
“Alongside her will be Louise Casey. These two individuals have spent decades standing up for those who have been sexually abused and exploited and I absolutely think they’re the right thing to take these people.”
The row follows days of turmoil for the inquiry after a would-be chair, Annie Hudson – a senior social worker – withdrew from the process.
Three more survivors, including Rotherham victim “Elizabeth”, also quit, accusing officials of creating a “toxic environment”.
Baroness Casey previously led a “national audit” of group-based child sexual exploitation that found “many examples” of organisations shying away from discussion of “ethnicity or cultural factors” in such offences “for fear of appearing racist”.
Her findings, published in June 2025, prompted Sir Keir to order the creation of the national inquiry.
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement, the Home Office declined to say how Baroness Casey would be supporting the inquiry.