Calls for Jess Phillips to resign are “understandable and inevitable” after the Government’s grooming gang inquiry descended into chaos, according to leading abuse lawyer Alan Collins. Mr Collins, a partner at Bolt Burdon Kemp who represents victims of child sexual abuse, said the resignations of four survivors from the inquiry’s victims’ liaison panel and the withdrawal of two potential chairs represented a “vote of no-confidence” in the safeguarding minister and the wider process.
The inquiry was established to investigate how institutions across the UK handled group-based child sexual exploitation, but it has struggled to get off the ground amid disputes over its scope and leadership. Survivors have repeatedly warned that the process will fail without their trust and meaningful involvement.
Mr Collins said: “The minister Jess Phillips may well think she has been unfairly criticised but this is to miss the point – what has happened has been on her watch. The calls for her to resign were inevitable, and the survivors calling for her resignation are justified in doing so because the inquiry’s credibility has gone through the floor.”
The intervention piles further pressure on Ms Phillips, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, who has faced criticism from survivors over claims she dismissed their concerns and sought to dilute the scope of the inquiry.
Earlier this week, four survivor representatives – Ellie-Ann Reynolds, Fiona Goddard, Elizabeth Harper and a woman known only as “Jessica” – quit the government’s victims’ liaison panel. In a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, they said they would only return if Ms Phillips resigned, the inquiry was led by a judge, and survivors could participate without fear of reprisal.
The crisis deepened when two candidates to chair the inquiry – former children’s services director Annie Hudson and ex-police officer Jim Gamble – withdrew within 24 hours. Gamble cited a “lack of confidence” from survivors due to his policing background and accused politicians of “playing games” which disrespected victims.
The resignations and withdrawals have left the inquiry leaderless and directionless, months after it was announced to examine how authorities handled child sexual exploitation.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has insisted the inquiry “will not be watered down” and continues to back Ms Phillips and Baroness Louise Casey, who has been drafted in to help restructure the process. But survivors say their trust has been “destroyed” and the inquiry risks failing before it has begun.
Mr Collins, who has acted for victims in several major abuse inquiries, said the inquiry needed full survivor buy-in to have any legitimacy.
He said: “For the inquiry to stand a chance it needs survivor buy-in. Without it, the process will be meaningless, aimless, and lack credibility.”
He supported survivors’ calls for a judge-led inquiry with complete independence, warning that anything less would lack legitimacy.
He said: “The inquiry needs to be judge-led and he or she needs to be given free rein to take it wherever the evidence leads. It will no doubt be painful, but it is very necessary.
The country needs this inquiry. The grooming gang scandal is a running sore and it will not heal while we continue to tiptoe around issues seen as toxic.”
He urged ministers to act quickly to restore confidence, adding: “The inquiry is floundering, and survivors’ confidence will drop off a cliff if an appropriate chair isn’t quickly identified and appointed. A UK or Commonwealth judge could be a strong choice – particularly given the intense media scrutiny this inquiry will face.”
“Most importantly, the inquiry has to be robust and thorough. Urgent work needs to be done to ensure survivors of abuse have confidence in the process.
“Perception is half the problem – if people don’t have confidence, they won’t engage.”
The Home Office said it remains committed to appointing “the best person suitable for the role” and confirmed that Ms Phillips retains the “full backing” of the Prime Minister and Home Secretary.
Mr Collins said the Government now faces a critical test of competence.
He explained: “The inquiry will only succeed if ministers act decisively to restore trust, appoint an independent chair, and give survivors meaningful influence over the process. Without urgent action, this inquiry risks collapsing under the weight of its own mismanagement and will fail to deliver justice for those who have already suffered so much.”