UK Parliament votes down Conservative Party amendment to create new national inquiry into grooming gangs by a vote of 364 to 111. The vote came as Labour was debating the second reading of its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to which the amendment was added in the context of a broader political manoeuvre involving Elon Musk.
On X, the social media platform founded by Elon Musk, he has been tweeting about the issue as well, calling on Americans to put pressure on their MPs for the sake of actuating a national inquiry. His involvement forms part of a wider critique of the current Labour government, focusing in particular on prime minister Keir Starmer’s approach to the issue when he was director of public prosecutions. Musk has made similar comments accusing Labour politicians of blocking an inquiry and of obstructing justice for victims.
This inquiry is the subject of a politically contentious debate where MPs from opposition parties including the Conservative and Reform UK parties are calling for this inquiry. They call for a national statutory inquiry across the UK to investigate historical child sexual exploitation, with a spotlight on so-called grooming gangs. Critics of the Labour government’s decision to vote down the inquiry accuse it of “cowardice”, saying it prioritises party politics over the interests of abuse victims.
Labour has dismissed that claim, saying that, to coincide with ongoing inquiries like the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) with Professor Alexis Jay at its head, the terrain has already been well covered. They argue that it would be better to implement the recommendations made by these inquiries than start another one which could slow action to help children who are at risk now.
The incident has also led some to accuse some of “weaponizing trauma” against victims, and the debate has laid bare ethnic and cultural dimensions of the grooming gangs issue, especially with British-Pakistani communities. Musk’s political inclinations towards the right and his ability to shape public perception using social media have muddled the political conversation even further.
His posts on X echoing public sentiment that the door was closed on the inquiry, and investigating certain power players was a cover-up or failure to address a critical issue, suggest the political game being played was to use Musk’s platform and special sauce to put pressure on government to take action. But these comments on X are hardly the last word but instead demonstrate a long-running public argument and political friction.
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