The first locations for the national independent inquiry into grooming gangs have been announced, with London, Oldham, Bradford, and Keighley set to be investigated. The £65 million inquiry, chaired by former children's commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield, will examine how grooming gangs operated and how police, councils, health services, social care, and schools responded to child sexual exploitation.
Birmingham MP Calls for City's Inclusion
Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips has stated that Birmingham should be included in the inquiry, arguing that the city has not been 'outed' as a major hotspot despite numerous cases of child exploitation and grooming involving multiple offenders and victims. Phillips, a leading advocate against violence targeting women and girls, told BirminghamLive: "What I never wanted the grooming gang inquiry to be was an opportunity to rake back over the places that everybody has always talked about, because sadly I think there are stories to tell everywhere."
She added: "Birmingham is one place I know well. I've come across and handled lots of grooming gang cases here but never with the profile of somewhere like Rotherham. The Telford inquiry lifted the lid a bit... many of the victims in Telford were being abused in Birmingham as well. The learning that came out of the Telford inquiry was brilliant, just brilliant, and there has been real progress made there as a result. But even though Birmingham is just a hop, skip and a jump away, that same learning hasn't been applied here. I really want someone to lift the bonnet over here as well."
Inquiry Powers and Cross-Party Pressure
The inquiry possesses legal powers to compel witnesses to provide evidence and mandate organisations to surrender documents. Any criminal evidence uncovered will be passed to Operation Beaconport, the nationwide police operation established last year to review hundreds of previously closed investigations. There is now cross-party pressure to expand the inquiry to include Birmingham, with Phillips noting that she has not lobbied directly due to the inquiry's independence, but stating: "Sadly sexual exploitation and grooming of young people happens everywhere. It would be unusual if the inquiry did not include some of the big cities that are not currently spoken of in the same way."
Victims' Advocate Welcomes Investigations
Amy Clowrey, director of Switalskis Solicitors in Wakefield representing victims, told the Press Association: "The women I’ve been helping in London, Bradford and Oldham have been repeatedly refused inquiries into safeguarding failings. These investigations mean the public will now find out the true scale of grooming and abuse and how badly our public bodies failed our children."
Political Reactions and Background
Keighley MP Robbie Moore, who campaigned for an inquiry focusing on his constituency, described the decision as a "watershed moment" that "marks a significant turning point in the pursuit of justice, truth and accountability for victims." Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch added: "For too long, victims have been ignored and institutions have looked the other way." Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham insisted he "acted immediately" on grooming gangs while mayor of Greater Manchester and criticised others for manipulating facts. London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan faced criticism for suggesting there was no indication of rape gangs operating in the capital.
The government has faced criticism over its handling of the probe. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer initially resisted calls for a national inquiry last year after tech billionaire Elon Musk sparked a political row on X. After the U-turn, efforts to set up the body faced delays, resignations, and disputes over scope. The three-year inquiry will examine whether ethnicity, culture, or religion influenced offending and institutional responses. The inquiry stated: "Children across England and Wales were sexually abused and exploited by grooming gangs. There are serious questions about how and why institutions tasked with protecting children frequently failed to do so. Working closely with victims and survivors of abuse, the inquiry will examine those failures by following the evidence, wherever it leads. It will hold organisations and individuals to account and make recommendations to prevent future abuse."
