Rachel Reeves refuses to say sorry for ‘far-right’ jibes at those who urged national grooming gangs inquiry after Keir Starmer’s humiliating U-turn

Rachel Reeves refused to say sorry for ‘far-right’ jibes against those demanding a national grooming gangs inquiry today. 

The Chancellor said she was interested in the ‘victims’ rather than the ‘hurt feelings’ of those who had been attacked by ministers.

The comments came after Keir Starmer dramatically announced he is ordering a statutory probe into the scandal – despite previously insisting it would take too long and local reviews were enough.

He said it was the ‘right thing to do’ after reading ‘every single word’ of the review he commissioned into the exploitation of thousands of girls across the country.

The audit by Whitehall troubleshooter Baroness Casey, due to be published this week, is said to explicitly link it to men of Pakistani origin.

It is understood to recommend that a new national inquiry be established in order to look at the race of perpetrators.

There is also expected to be a warning that white British girls who were exploited in towns across the country were ‘institutionally ignored for fear of racism’.

Tories have demanded an apology from Sir Keir for resisting a national inquiry for months – and cautioned it must be done ‘properly and quickly’. 

They insisted the probe must be a ‘people’s inquiry’ rather than a London-based ‘mistakes were made’ exercise.

Ms Reeves this morning refused to apologise to those who were rebuked for urging a national apology, saying what mattered was ‘the victims’.

‘It’s the victims, and it’s not people’s hurt feelings about how they have been spoken about,’ she told Sky News. 

Keir Starmer dramatically announced last night that he is ordering a statutory inquiry into the scandal despite previously insisting it would take too long and local reviews were enough

Rachel Reeves this morning refused to apologise to those who were rebuked for urging a national apology, saying what mattered was ‘the victims’

Tories have insisted the probe must be a ‘proper people’s inquiry’ rather than a London-based ‘mistakes were made’ exercise

Speaking to reporters about Lady Casey’s review last night, Sir Keir said: ‘Her position when she started the audit was that there was not a real need for a national inquiry over and above what was going on. 

‘She has looked at the material she has looked at and she has come to the view that there should be a national inquiry on the basis of what she has seen.

‘I have read every single word of her report and I am going to accept her recommendation. That is the right thing to do on the basis of what she has put in her audit.

‘I asked her to do that job to double-check on this; she has done that job for me and having read her report, I respect her in any event. I shall now implement her recommendations.’

Asked when it would start work, the PM replied: ‘It will be statutory under the Inquiries Act. That will take a bit of time to sort out exactly how that works and we will set that out in an orderly way.’

He insisted that he had never ruled out a national inquiry although he previously wanted to focus on implementing recommendations made in earlier reports.

‘From the start I have always said that we should implement the recommendations we have got because we have got many other recommendations. I think there are 200 when you take all of the reviews that have gone on at every level and we have got to get on with implementing them.

‘I have never said we should not look again at any issue. I have wanted to be assured that on the question of any inquiry. That’s why I asked Louise Casey who I hugely respect to do an audit.’

In January, Sir Keir hit out at the ‘poison of the far-right’ suggesting critics were ‘jumping on the bandwagon’.

‘What I won’t tolerate is politicians jumping on the bandwagon simply to get attention, when those politicians sat in government for 14 long years, tweeting, talking, but not doing anything about it,’ he said. 

‘Now, so desperate for attention that they’re amplifying what the far-right is saying.’

However, under mounting pressure Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a series of new local probes that month as well as the audit by Lady Casey.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who has repeatedly demanded the PM launch a full inquiry, said: ‘Keir Starmer doesn’t know what he thinks unless an official report has told him so. 

‘Just like he dismissed concerns about the winter fuel payment and then had to U-turn, just like he needed the Supreme Court to tell him what a woman is, he had to be led by the nose to make this correct decision here.

‘I’ve been repeatedly calling for a full national inquiry since January. It’s about time he recognised he made a mistake and apologise for six wasted months.’

She went on: ‘But this must not be the end of the matter. There are many, many more questions that need answering to ensure this inquiry is done properly and quickly. 

‘Many survivors of the grooming gangs will be relieved that this is finally happening, but they need a resolution soon not in 10 years’ time. Justice delayed is justice denied.’

A review by Whitehall troubleshooter Baroness Casey into grooming gangs is due to be published this week 

Since 2010 there have been a string of trials of grooming gang members for sexually exploiting young girls while landmark official inquiries into Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale have revealed the huge numbers of those abused.

However demands for a new national inquiry began growing at the start of this year, fuelled by tech tycoon Elon Musk’s attacks on the Government. 

Initially ministers said they wanted to focus on implementing recommendations from the wider Jay report into child sexual exploitation.

Asked if the PM was wrong to have previously dismissed the idea of an inquiry, Ms Reeves told the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: ‘We’ve never dismissed the concerns of victims, and those are the most important people in these discussions.’

She added: ‘The Conservatives could have done another national inquiry, but they didn’t. We’ve been focused on implementing the recommendations of the Alexis Jay review and other reviews, because there’s recommendations that have just been sitting on the table.

‘But the Prime Minister wanted to assure himself he was doing everything that was necessary, which is why he asked Baroness Casey to do this rapid review.’

Ms Reeves went on: ‘She said at the outset that she didn’t think there was a need for a national inquiry, but during the course of her rapid review, she’s concluded that a national inquiry, alongside the local inquiries to give statutory powers is the right way forward.

‘And the Prime Minister has pre-empted the publication of the report this week and said that he will accept the recommendations, including for a national inquiry, alongside those local inquiries that have already got going.’

Opposition leader Mrs Badenoch has raised the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions, even suggesting the PM was ‘dragging his heels’ because he did not want ‘Labour cover-ups exposed’.

In January he told the Commons: ‘There have been a number of inquiries, both national and local, including one covering Oldham. Reasonable people can agree or disagree on whether a further inquiry is necessary…

‘The Jay inquiry, the last national inquiry, was seven years. A further inquiry would take us to 2031. Action is what is required.’