Keir Starmer has slapped down Andy Burnham after he broke ranks with the prime minister to call for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.
The prime minister has insisted that the government’s priority should be to implement the recommendations from Professor Alexis Jay’s own inquiry into child sexual abuse, which reported in 2022.
In the Commons on Wednesday night, Labour used its huge majority to reject Tory demands for a national probe.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Burnham said: “In my view, the government was right to reject that form of opportunism.
“But I did hear last night coming out of the debate, ministers saying they are open to discussing issues now with survivors.
“And I will add my voice into this and say I do think there is the case for a limited national inquiry that draws on reviews like the one that I commissioned and the one we’ve seen in Rotherham, the one we’ve seen in Telford, to draw out some of these national issues, and compel people to give evidence who then may have charges to answer and be held to account. That is something I couldn’t do at my level.”
Asked about Burnham’s intervention, a spokesman for Starmer said: ”[The PM’s] been clear that it’s only reasonable for people to have a range of views, but that his focus and the government’s focus is on action now and not more inquiries or delay.”
The grooming gangs issue has dominated the political agenda in recent days after GB News reported that safeguarding minister Jess Phillips had reject an appeal by Oldham Council for a government-led inquiry.
That led to Elon Musk branding her a “rape genocide apologist” who should be jailed, and criticising Keir Starmer’s record when he was Director of Public Prosecutions.
The PM hit back at the world’s richest man on Monday, accusing him of “crossing a line” with his attacks on Phillips.
Starmer also clashed at PMQs with Kemi Badenoch, who he said had “jumped on a bandwagon” by demanding a national inquiry.
