Kemi Badenoch has dramatically failed in her attempt to sabotage the government’s child welfare legislation in a bid to get another national inquiry into grooming gangs.
Some 364 MPs voted against the Tory leader’s amendment to the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, while 111 MPs voted for it. There are 121 Tory MPs in total. Some 16 Tory MPs had no vote recorded, which could be for a number of reasons including constituency business or other reasons. Nigel Farage, and the other four Reform MPs, also backed the amendment.
Ms Badenoch’s amendment called for ministers “to develop new legislative proposals for children’s wellbeing including establishing a national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs”. The Tory leader had been severely criticised by senior Labour ministers for trying to torpedo their legislation, which they said seeks to “protect the very children they claim to care about”.
The PM accused her of jumping on the “bandwagon” after years of not raising the issue while in power. Keir Starmer hit out at the Ms Badenoch over “lies and misinformation and slinging of mud” which did not help victims of child sexual abuse. He urged her to drop her call which, if it succeeded, would derail a key piece of child protection legislation.
At PMQs Mr Starmer said a further inquiry could delay action on tackling child sexual abuse, pointing out that recommendations from a seven-year investigation which reported in 2022 had not yet been implemented. The issue has become a political storm after X boss Elon Musk used his social media platform to launch a barrage of attacks at Mr Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
Closing a debate on the bill, education minister Catherine McKinnell told the Commons the child sexual abuse scandal was “sickening” and that children need “action” not more inquiries. She said the Tories know that Labour’s bill would fail if their amendment was to pass – a bill that she said was “the biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation”.
Referring to the Tory amendment, she said the Government would be “rejecting today’s political opportunism” adding: “Because instead of chasing headlines, we want to focus our efforts and our actions on vulnerable children.”
During the debate shadow education secretary Laura Trott said planned reforms to the education system will see the loss of any progress made in the last decade in school standards. She criticised plans to ensure academies teach the national curriculum. But Ms McKinnell hit back at the Tory MP, listing that the unhappiness of kids, school buildings crumbling and undervalued teachers was the legacy of the Tories – “a system failing education”.
Earlier Ms Badenoch faced criticism after it emerged she has never actually met any survivors of grooming gangs – and she doesn’t think she needs to. Her spokesman told reporters that she had no current plans to meet with any victims, nor had any asked to meet with her. Mr Starmer, who had a private meeting with victims on Wednesday morning, accused Ms Badenoch of “jumping on a bandwagon” – as she had failed to raise the issue in the Commons during her eight years as an MP.
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And the Tories faced fury for sending out fundraising emails trying to capitalise on renewed interest in the scandal to fill party coffers. Ms Badenoch was accused of stooping to a “new low” after an email sent to Tory members urging them to back a petition for a new inquiry included a link to donate to the party. Labour said the move shows “breathtaking disrespect” to victims, who it said are being used as a “political football” by the Conservatives.
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Meanwhile the Tory leader’s spokesman insisted she thought abuse of MPs online was “disgraceful” – yet said she remains a “fan” of Elon Musk. Asked what had changed this week to prompt her increased interest in grooming gangs, Ms Badenoch’s spokesman said: “There is strong evidence that this stuff is still going on. There is a feeling among victims that those in power and authority have not been brought to justice. That is something a national inquiry would do.”
He said any further inquiry would have to look at the ethnicity of those involved. He added: “That is what we’re looking for, that is what the victims are looking for.” Asked how many victims she’s met, the spokesman admitted: “She hasn’t.”
He denied it was a “bandwagon”, adding: “We have listened to the victims. There has been some superb reporting….there are whistleblowers. When you hear these people talking about what has happened and you look at what has been done in response the leader of the opposition came to the conclusion it was absolutely necessary to hold a national inquiry.”
Challenged on why she hasn’t met victims, he said: “We heard testimony, we heard the reports. You don’t need to necessarily meet someone to feel incredibly passionately about this.” Asked why, given she hasn’t met with any, she’s chosen to side with victims who want an inquiry, rather than ones who don’t, he said: “As has been said elsewhere, there are differing perspectives on this, she’s taken up the ones who want an inquiry.” The spokesman confirmed no victims had asked Ms Badenoch to meet with her.