The Conservative Party has reacted with fury after Labour MPs yet again voted against holding an inquiry into child sexual abuse this afternoon.
The Tories tried amending the Schools Bill during its committee stage today, in a move that would have forced a national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs.
However in yet another shocking moment, Labour MPs voted the amendment down in yet another blow.
Tory shadow education minister Neil O’Brien and Patrick Spencer MP’s join new clause would, if passed, have forced the Education Secretary to set up an independent inquiry into grooming gangs within the next three months.
It would have sought to identify the actions of the gangs, as well as their ethnicity, and failings by state bodies such as the police, councils, prosecutors, charities and political parties.
Labour once again blocked the amendment, claiming the scandal has already been “fully investigated”.
Labour MP Darren Paffey also took a brave swipe at X owner Elon Musk, who was in large part behind the recent rape gang furore.
Mr Paffey told MPs that grooming gangs have already been “thoroughly and fully investigated, and recommendations by a leading expert made”.
He added: “It is time to make those changes to our country, to our law, to our services, that allow us to firstly reflect on the past and that secondly get on with catching those who continue [to perpetrate the crimes].”
He accused the Conservatives and Reform UK of becoming “a little bedazzled by social media suggestion and innuendo by individuals – wherever they are in the world at that particular moment – who, if the members opposite are honest, that individual has absolutely no genuine interest in the victims whose sufferings are known”.
Continuing his blindside on Elon Musk, he continued: “They have their own political agenda to follow.
“They use their own social media platform to do so, and none of that moves us any closer to doing what we need to do…”
All Labour MPs on the bill committee voted against the amendment.
Responding to Labour once again voting down a rape gangs inquiry, shadow minister Neil O’Brien blasted: “It is disgraceful that the Labour Party has once again voted to block a national inquiry into child rape gangs.
“An industrial scale cover up failed girls up and down the country, and yet Labour MPs had the opportunity to do the right thing and ensure a scandal like this never happens again.
“But the Conservative Party will always stand up for what is right, and will keep holding this shameful government to account until they act.”
In January the government was strong armed by national outcry into announcing a review of grooming gang evidence, however this was condemned as “totally inadequate” by the Conservatives.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the new ‘inquiries’ would not have the power they need.
Elon Musk warned: “I hope this is a proper inquiry.”
