'Did you do enough?'
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) January 7, 2025
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick was questioned on #BBCBreakfast about what the Conservatives record in government in tackling the sexual abuse of children by grooming gangshttps://t.co/kZonX8yzGjpic.twitter.com/Rkgfl9vZJd
Robert Jenrick clashed with a BBC presenter as he was grilled over the last Tory government’s record on tackling grooming gangs.
The Conservatives are now calling for a full public inquiry into the scandal, and are aiming to force a Commons vote on Wednesday on whether one should take place.
On BBC Breakfast this morning, Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, insisted his party was not jumping on the bandwagon after Elon Musk began attacking Labour over the issue.
Outlining what the Tories had done to deal with it, he said: “We did do a number of important steps.
“When I was in the Home Office we did set up the grooming gangs taskforce, that’s led to 550 arrests. That’s believed to have protected 4,500 victims of this scandal.”
But presenter John Kay interrupted him to ask: “Did you do enough?”
Jenrick replied: “I think we need to do more, of course we need to do more. If a single young girl is being subjected to this horrific, medieval torture and rape on the streets of our country today, then clearly we all need to do more.”
Kay said: “So if that is what has been happening in this country for decades, as you say, did you in government do enough?”
Jenrick said: “I think we have to do more, of course. I’ve said that, I’ve been very clear about that.”
The presenter then told him: “You’re not answering the question. You’re saying what we need to do in the future. I’m asking about your record as Conservatives in government. Did you do enough?”
The Tory frontbencher replied: “I’m saying clearly that more needed to be done ... that’s why we need to have a full national inquiry. But a number of significant steps were taken.”
