Government issues statement on new grooming gangs inquiry in Oldham

The government has announced plans to help Oldham council hold a new inquiry into grooming gangs.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has said that £5m will be put towards the plan for new reviews in up to five areas, including Oldham. Among a series of measures, she said a 'rapid audit' will also look at data on the ethnicity of grooming gang victims and perpetrators.

It comes after Oldham council's request for a government-led inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the town was rejected. The decision was widely criticised with Elon Musk, the world's richest man and owner of X, wading in on the debate in recent weeks.

Ms Cooper told MPs how the government will provide 'stronger national backing' for local inquiries where they are needed. She announced that Tom Crowther KC, who chaired the Telford inquiry, will develop plans for new 'victim-centred, locally led inquiries'.

As a first step, she said, he will work with Oldham council and up to four other areas. This includes helping local authorities who want to explore other ways to support victims including through local panels.

She said: "Nothing matters more than the safety of our children. Yet for too long this horrific abuse was allowed to continue, victims were ignored, perpetrators were left unpunished and too many people looked the other way.

"And even when these shocking crimes were brought to light, national inquiries were commissioned to get to the truth, the resulting reports were too often left on the shelf as their recommendations gathered dust. Under this government this has changed.

"We are taking action not just on those recommendations but on the additional work we need to protect victims, put perpetrators behind bars and to uncover the truth wherever things have gone wrong. This is about the protection of children, the protection of young girls and the radical and ambitious mission we have set for this government to halve violence against women and girls in a decade."

The announcement comes after former Greater Manchester Police detective Maggie Oliver threatened the home secretary with legal action. The campaigner said she had put Ms Cooper “on notice” that she would take her to court unless concerns were addressed.

In a statement in Parliament on Thursday (January 16), the home secretary told MPs that all of the recommendations in the national inquiry which was completed in 2022 will be implemented with a timetable set out by Easter. MPs were also told that safeguarding minister Jess Phillips is meeting with survivors of child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs from Oldham today (January 16).

Previously, Labour had argued that another national inquiry was not needed and instead promised to implement recommendations from the last national review. Responding to Oldham council's request, Mrs Phillips said that a locally-led inquiry would be best.

The decision follows years of furious rows in Oldham where opposition councillors have repeatedly called for a government-led inquiry. The calls came after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham commissioned a review which reported on Oldham in 2022.

The independent assurance review into child sexual exploitation identified serious failings in Oldham, but found 'no evidence' of a cover-up. Opposition councillors continued to call for a government-led inquiry but motions were voted down by Labour members.

However, a deal was struck with independent councillors last year when Labour lost its majority in the town hall. Council leader Arooj Shah agreed to back calls to the government for a new inquiry in a bid to gain support from independents and keep Labour in power.

The Home Office, which, under the Conservative government, rejected previous such requests by local councillors, responded to Oldham council last year. The government told the Manchester Evening News earlier this month that the inquiry will not take place.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips wrote to the council saying that any inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham should be organised locally. Oldham council said it has promised victims their voices will be heard despite the lack of government intervention.

Responding to the news on New Year's Day, Mr Musk described the government's decision as 'shameful' and called Mrs Phillips 'a rape genocide apologist'. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went on to call for a national inquiry too.

Mr Burnham said last week that he is 'not opposed' to a new review, arguing that there is a case for a 'limited national inquiry'. However, Wigan MP and government minister Lisa Nandy said that she disagreed with the Greater Manchester Labour mayor.

Mrs Oliver, who resigned from GMP in 2012, warned the home secretary in a pre-action letter today (January 16) that she would take her to court unless she takes “urgent steps to allay widespread public concern” over gangs sexually exploiting children. In a statement, Mrs Oliver said that she had put Ms Cooper 'on notice' seek a judicial review through the High Court.

She demanded that the Home Secretary “publicly confirms that she will implement all 20 of the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and publishes a timetable for implementation of those recommendations, and takes urgent steps to allay widespread public concern regarding the grooming and sexual abuse by organised gangs/groups”.

If Ms Cooper “does not agree to these reasonable requests”, Mrs Oliver added: “I will issue an application to the High Court seeking permission to challenge the Secretary of State’s refusal to take action on urgent issues of child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation.”