Keir Starmer will face Tory leader Kemi Badenoch amid an ugly row fuelled by Elon Musk’s attacks on the Government.
The PM has faced an angry backlash after rejecting calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs. But in a scathing response on Monday he lashed out at far-right “poison” that has surfaced during the controversy.
This afternoon the Conservatives will demand an inquiry, tabling an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Critics have accused them of opportunitism, with the Education Secretary branding their actions “absolutely sickening”.
The Government has said that instead of launching an inquiry it will focus on actioning the recommendations of a seven-year probe into child sexual abuse. Despite the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) calling for a string of changes, none were implemented under the Tories.
Starmer urges Tories not to fall in line with Kemi Badenoch
The PM has accused the Tories of politicising calls for a grooming gang inquiry. In an interview with The Mirror he said: “It’s a shocking tactic, completely short sighted.
“I would implore any right-thinking Tory MP to vote for the bill because this would kill the bill, this would kill the legislation. It would kill the provisions for a unique identifying number that will stop children falling through the cracks.”
He went on: “No MP should be voting down children’s safeguarding measures. It’s shocking they are even thinking about this as a tactic. It’s the elevation of the desire for retweets over any real interest in the safeguarding of children.” He urged sensible Tories to “think twice” before backing the move.
Tory action is ‘absolutely sickening’ says Education Secretary
Bridget Phillipson branded the Tory actions “absolutely sickening”.
She told Times Radio: “We are looking right across the recommendations that Alexis Jay set out and there are crucial recommendations from the review that she carried out.
“That’s why today we are setting out legislation that addresses many of the wider challenges that we see right across our system. It’s why the Home Secretary announced in the House of Commons the action that we are taking.
“So we are wasting no time in legislating to keep children safe. The question for the Conservatives today is why they are intent on blocking this landmark piece of child protection legislation that would keep the very children safe that they claim they are concerned about.”
She added: “They come along today as we set out legislation to protect the very children they claim to care about and they intend to block it and kill it stone dead. It is absolutely sickening.”
Cabinet never discussed grooming gang inquiry when I was a member, says Nadine Dorries
Nadine Dorries has revealed the Tory cabinet never discussed a national inquiry into grooming gangs when she was a member – despite agitating for one now.
The former Culture Secretary squirmed as she was pressed over Conservative “political opportunism”. Kemi Badenoch will push for a vote in the Commons after seizing on the scandal, which has been in the spotlight following a furious tirade by Elon Musk.
But by doing so they would halt the progress of a Bill aimed at tackling child safety. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson branded this “absolutely sickening”.
Ms Dorries, who was Culture Secretary under Boris Johnson, said former Home Secretaries Dame Priti Patel and Suella Braverman had questions to answer about the inaction. She said a new inquiry into grooming gangs was never discussed when she was in Cabinet.
Asked why the Tories had not done it when they had the chance, she told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire: “That’s a good question.” She went on: “I was Culture Secretary, this didn’t even come anywhere near my desk.”