U.K. Conservative Leader Badenoch Slams PM Starmer for Refusing a National Inquiry into the Grooming Gangs Scandal: ‘It Is Not About You, It Is About the Victims’

BEDANOCH Mr Speaker the ░░░░░░░░ minister is being very ░░░░░░░░ because I have raised ░░░░░░░░ issue I raised it ░░░░░░░░ speeches I ve raced ░░░░░░░░ publicly He knows he ░░░░░░░░ that as a minister ░░░░░░░░ knows that as a ░░░░░░░░ I would not have ░░░░░░░░ speaking on this specific ░░░░░░░░ I was not a ░░░░░░░░ office minister but but ░░░░░░░░ Speaker I will remind ░░░░░░░░ about other victims who ░░░░░░░░ to me who I ░░░░░░░░ help the victims of ░░░░░░░░ Tavistock scandal who came ░░░░░░░░ me as a minister ░░░░░░░░ didn t send them ░░░░░░░░ like his safeguarding minister ░░░░░░░░ made sure as his ░░░░░░░░ Party were calling me ░░░░░░░░ that we launched the ░░░░░░░░ review which even his ░░░░░░░░ secretary has accepted So ░░░░░░░░ do right by victims ░░░░░░░░ Speaker The reason why ░░░░░░░░ national inquiry is important ░░░░░░░░ because this issue is ░░░░░░░░ it has been involving ░░░░░░░░ and national officials the ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors and politicians He ░░░░░░░░ about some of the ░░░░░░░░ inquiries but these interlinked ░░░░░░░░ cannot be covered by ░░░░░░░░ inquiries alone In fact ░░░░░░░░ leaders of the Manchester ░░░░░░░░ resigned because they couldn ░░░░░░░░ get evidence they couldn ░░░░░░░░ summon witnesses and not ░░░░░░░░ single person in a ░░░░░░░░ of authority has been ░░░░░░░░ to account The prime ░░░░░░░░ called for nine inquiries ░░░░░░░░ the last parliament Does ░░░░░░░░ not see that by ░░░░░░░░ this one people will ░░░░░░░░ to worry about a ░░░░░░░░ up STARMER Mr Speaker ░░░░░░░░ is an important issue ░░░░░░░░ we have to focus ░░░░░░░░ the victims and survivors ░░░░░░░░ it isn t helpful ░░░░░░░░ sort of lies and ░░░░░░░░ and slinging of mud ░░░░░░░░ t help that one ░░░░░░░░ Doesn t help one ░░░░░░░░ Mr Speaker she raised ░░░░░░░░ question of a victim ░░░░░░░░ me quite right to ░░░░░░░░ that victims and survivors ░░░░░░░░ in different places on ░░░░░░░░ Those that I ve ░░░░░░░░ to are worried about ░░░░░░░░ delay of a further ░░░░░░░░ The last inquiry took ░░░░░░░░ years That would take ░░░░░░░░ to 2031 These inquiries ░░░░░░░░ the issues that s ░░░░░░░░ raised with me and ░░░░░░░░ s been speaking to ░░░░░░░░ that have raised this ░░░░░░░░ her is that it ░░░░░░░░ very hard for victims ░░░░░░░░ survivors to come forward ░░░░░░░░ explain what s happened ░░░░░░░░ them They do not ░░░░░░░░ to be rushed through ░░░░░░░░ process which is why ░░░░░░░░ last one took seven ░░░░░░░░ It s not sensible ░░░░░░░░ suggest that this could ░░░░░░░░ done in a hurry ░░░░░░░░ the cheap and comprehensively ░░░░░░░░ Mr Speaker that would ░░░░░░░░ us to let s ░░░░░░░░ 2030 2031 The victims ░░░░░░░░ I ve spoken to ░░░░░░░░ action today I agree ░░░░░░░░ them on that What ░░░░░░░░ don t understand I ░░░░░░░░ don t understand is ░░░░░░░░ anybody today would vote ░░░░░░░░ the children well being ░░░░░░░░ which will protect the ░░░░░░░░ vulnerable today It will ░░░░░░░░ the bill It will ░░░░░░░░ those provisions for children ░░░░░░░░ at risk today I ░░░░░░░░ them vote for the ░░░░░░░░ don t wreck this ░░░░░░░░ this misguided way.”