Grooming gangs inquiry must ‘leave no stone unturned’, Kemi Badenoch says

A nationwide inquiry into grooming gangs must “leave no stone unturned”, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has insisted, as she also called on the UK Government to do more to support victims and their families.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp meanwhile urged the UK Government to adopt draft terms of reference for the inquiry drawn up by the Conservatives with help from some victims and survivors of abuse.

The Tories’ terms would ensure the investigation examines the ethnicity and religious background of grooming gangs, place a two-year time limit on the inquiry, and focus it on non-familiar abuse.

The UK Government has faced criticism over its efforts to set up the inquiry, which has been subject to delays and rows about its scope.

Speaking at a press conference in central London, Mrs Badenoch said: “I want to be clear that a national inquiry must leave no stone unturned.

“It must investigate councils, the police and even the Government if necessary.

“It must be time-limited, and it must consider the role of ethnicity, religion and other cultural factors.

“Baroness (Louise) Casey’s own report admitted that many of these cases are committed by people of Asian and Pakistani ethnicities.

“Her own report said that those who downplay the ethnicity of perpetrators are continuing to let down society, local communities and the victims. We agree.

“As I said, I have spoken to many survivors. We are speaking on their behalf.

“Their lives and their families’ lives have been turned upside down, so separate to this inquiry, the Government must act now to ensure that they and their families are supported so they can heal.”

The UK Government’s efforts to establish a national inquiry have stalled since Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the probe in June.

In October, the final two candidates to chair the inquiry dropped out of the process amid a row over their connections to the police and social services.

And a group of women quit the inquiry’s victim liaison panel, accusing the Government of attempting to widen its remit to consider other forms of child sexual abuse.

Ministers brought in Whitehall troubleshooter Baroness Casey to assist with setting up the inquiry, but acknowledged that it could be “months” before a chair was appointed.

Mr Philp meanwhile said the Conservatives’ terms of reference would set “a two-year time limit on this inquiry”.

“It can’t drag on for years and years,” he added.

In a challenge to ministers, Mr Philp later said: “We are being constructive here. We’ve proposed a detailed set of terms of reference. We’ve gone through them with the survivors, the advocates, the families.

“This shows it can be done. The Government has had six months to do this and they haven’t done it and by publishing this today, we’re showing it can be done.”

Mr Philp also told the press conference that dual nationals found to have been involved in grooming should have their British citizenship removed and be deported.

The senior Conservative said: “Dual nationals should be stripped of their British citizenship, and they should be deported with no exceptions. We don’t want these people in our country.

“If they have citizenship of another country, then they should be deported, and their British citizenship should be removed, no ifs, no buts.”

Visa sanctions and the suspension of foreign aid should also be considered as steps to compel countries to take back their citizens, he added.