A clash erupted between on GB News over whether the UK needs a national inquiry into grooming gangs after multiple following Labour MPs called for a new investigation.
Commentator Nigel Nelson and GP Dr Renee Hoenderkamp squared off on the People’s Channel over the timing and necessity of such an inquiry, with Nelson arguing that such an inquiry would “delay the recommendations” put in place by the Jay report.
As pressure mounts on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to kickstart a national inquiry, Rotherham MP Sarah Champion Champion set out a five-point plan including a “national audit” to determine if grooming gangs are still operating or cases have been missed.
She proposed a “Telford-style” inquiry model that would be triggered when local councils or police refer themselves, or when independent panels raise concerns.
Nigel Nelson and Renee Hoenderkamp clash over Labour’s handling of grooming gangs
GB News
Debating whether an inquiry should go ahead, senior commentator Nigel Nelson claimed that the Government has to “get the priorities right” on handling the scandal.
“If you have another inquiry, these things can’t be implemented, because what a new inquiry should look at is whether these things are fit for purpose. You can’t do that till they’re actually set up,” Nelson said.
Dr Hoenderkamp strongly rejected delays to a national inquiry, arguing the issue requires immediate attention.
“I think this is a highly emotive subject that we’ve not been allowed to talk about for various reasons, most of them because they were culturally sensitive,” she told GB News.
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion has backed a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal
PA
Nelson maintained that any investigation into historical cover-ups should wait until after Jay’s proposals are in place.
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“All I’m arguing is that if you do that, you would delay this, because you can’t have an inquiry that doesn’t make recommendations,” he added.
However, Hoenderkamp insisted a parallel inquiry could run alongside implementing Jay’s recommendations.
She explained: “If there’s a child right now as we speak who’s being gang raped by a group of men, I don’t want to delay the inquiry into that by a year. It’s deflection.
“1 in 57 Asian Pakistani men in Rochdale were prosecuted for these gang rape crimes. We have a problem in these communities.”
Nelson told GB News that an inquiry would ‘delay the recommendations’ of the Jay report
GB News
Partly agreeing with Hoenderkamp, Nelson stated that although the people who initiated a “cover-up” should “be determined”, there needs to be an inquiry when more of Jay’s recommendations have been implemented.
Nelson concluded: “All I’m arguing is that if you do that, you would delay this, because you can’t have an inquiry that doesn’t make recommendations. So the recommendations have to be on the basis of what’s already been done.
“And if you’ve got the Jay proposals implemented, they could then look at that and say are these working well enough?”
In a statement, the Home Office has said: “No child should ever suffer sexual abuse and exploitation, and it’s paramount that we do more to protect vulnerable children.
“Which is why we’re working at pace across Government to drive forward real action to implement the recommendations of the independent inquiry.”
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