Emails from MPs re: Supporting the motion by Rupert Lowe regarding trafficking of girls to Pakistan
My email was sent to all MPs.
EMAIL SENT
Sent to all MPs on 12th Feb 2026.
Supporting the motion by Rupert Lowe regarding trafficking of girls to Pakistan
Dear {{Forename}},
PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS MOTION
Rupert Lowe MP has already contacted you on this matter.
I am simply asking that you add your name to his motion.
This matter is far too important to ignore. It is far too important for party politics to inhibit you from doing the right thing.
Here is the link to his early day motions:
https://members.parliament.uk/member/5158/earlydaymotions
Here is the link to this particular motion:
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/65212/rape-gang-overseas-trafficking
At the time of me writing to you, here are the MPs who are supporting this motion:
Rupert Lowe (independent)
Alex Eason (independent)
Carla Lockhart (DUP)
Peter Bedford (Conservative)
Sir Edward Leigh (Conservative)
Jim Shannon (DUP)
James McMurdock (independent)
Jack Rankin (Conservative)
Andrew George (Lib Dem)
Sir John Hayes (Conservative)
Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK)
Will you also support this motion please?
Notably absent is any support from Labour MPs, or from Green MPs. This despite child welfare featuring prominently in their aims.
A poll of 30,000 Muslims has shown that their support for Labour has dropped very significantly in the last 2+ years, due to events in Gaza. Given that Labour no longer gains any significant electoral advantage from the Muslim vote, now must surely be their time to speak out strongly against the clear evils associated with Islam. That might stem the tide of the traditional, non-Muslim, working class Labour vote flowing to Reform. Labour should forget trying to appease Muslim voters, they are lost to Labour already.
Given that this evil has been perpetrated predominantly in Labour areas, against mainly white working class girls, it is doubly important that Labour MPs should distance their party from such evils. And can demonstrate this distancing, very clearly, by supporting this motion.
- Responses show a drop of 66% in potential Labour votes, from 71% to just 5%.
- Conservative vote also dropping from 9%, to just 0.6% amongst survey participants.
Reference:
https://muslimcensus.co.uk/labour-losing-muslim-vote/
ISLAMOPHOBIA
Rupert Lowe has stated this on X, dated 10th February 2026. Quote:
“The Muslim Council of Britain has stated that certain findings from our rape gang inquiry are Islamophobic. This may have worked before to shut down debate. It will not work now. We are going to continue our inquiry, and we are going to continue telling the truth.”
The term “Islamophobia” is of course a nonsense word. A phobia is an irrational fear of something harmless. It is entirely rational to be afraid of Islam, as it is extremely harmful. Estimates vary, the number of non-Muslims murdered over 14 centuries in the name of Allah is around 270 million. That may be a conservative estimate, it is impossible to give an accurate figure. And the bloodshed continues today.
The late Christopher Hitchens (author of the book God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) described the word “Islamophobia” as:
“A word created by fascists and used by cowards to manipulate morons.”
ADDITIONAL KEY POINTS
I would like to make my own additional points. This is my own information, Rupert Lowe has not asked me to write this. I feel the need to state the background reality:
It is vitally important to pin the blame for these rape gangs onto Islam itself.
It is theologically erroneous to use terms such as “Islamism”, or “radical Islam”. These terms were concocted in order to avoid pinning the blame for numerous evils onto Islam. Evils that include sex slavery.
There is just Islam. Political Islam is an integral part of Islam overall, it is not a separate entity. Islam itself makes no distinction between “peaceful Islam” and “violent Islam”. Islam includes peaceful aspects and also includes violent aspects. Trying to separate it out is a Western concoction, deceitfully put about by those such as Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair. For international political reasons: in order to make it easier to intervene militarily in the Middle East. It is fundamentally deceitful.
This lie has had disastrous consequences for domestic politics. Preventing successive Prime Ministers from being honest about the reality of Islam - after every jihadi terrorist attack they claim it is nothing to do with “true peaceful Islam”.
It is not any surprise that politicians are largely despised and hated now. It is the serious blatant lies such as this that have broken the trust. These lies MUST stop. Politicians (both current and retired) MUST finally admit that they lied repeatedly regarding Islam, or the trust will NEVER be regained. We cannot afford to perpetuate this dishonesty. Time is rapidly running out if we are to save Western civilisation. Naive wishful thinking cannot solve this problem, it is far too serious now.
Mohammed kept sex slaves, and it was a major motivator for his followers to battle against non-Muslims. They would kill the men. Either during the battle, or afterwards there would be mass slaughtering of male captives. And their wives and daughters taken as sex slaves. Sex slaves would be distributed among the Muslim men who took part in the battle. You can see that it was a key factor in the very rapid spread of Islam. Muslims today are proud of this. And seek to emulate Mohammed when they get the opportunity.
In the UK today they can easily entrap girls as sex slaves, hundreds of thousands of them, mainly in working class Labour areas. Without having to go to the trouble of killing their fathers or brothers! And all while politicians, local authorities, and police, in many cases, turning a blind eye. In order not to upset “community relations”. Utterly shameful.
The sex slavery is all clearly stated in Islamic scriptures. The sources make no secret of it. And indeed are written in a way that is proud of doing this.
Have you ever wondered why so few Muslims report the rape gang members to the police? The answer is very simple: it is because the Koran permits sex slavery. Any Muslim who reports a gang member to the police will be doing so contrary to the will of Allah. The Koran very clearly permits sex slavery in these 5 verses:
Koran 4:3, 4:24-25, 33:50, 70:30, 23:6.
The Meccan part of the Koran (the earlier revealed part) is to a large extent religious. However, Mohammed and his relatively small number of followers (estimated at 150) made themselves unpopular in Mecca, and they migrated to Medina. In Medina he gained political power. And started slaughtering non-Muslims. That slaughter has never stopped. Estimates vary, but a conservative estimate is 270 million murdered “for the cause of Allah”. It is never going to end, unless Islam itself is completely erased from the world.
We do need to very seriously discuss repatriation of Muslims out of the UK, back to their ancestral homelands. Around a quarter to a third support violent jihad, according to a number of polls. It is not “a tiny percentage”. That is another blatant lie that successive Prime Ministers (Labour and Conservative) have tried to deceive the public - in order to shield Islam from criticism. We know who these liars are.
You may ask: if Islamic scriptures permit and command violent jihad, and a quarter to a third of Muslims in the UK support it, why is there not a terrorist attack every day? That is to misunderstand the core reality: the reality is that primarily Islam seeks to take control of every nation. The means to do so is a secondary matter. It uses whatever is the most effective means. To take over the UK, the demographic conquest is in the process of working very effectively. There is no need to, and it would largely be counterproductive to try to take over militarily. Islam is patient: a few decades is as nothing on its timescales.
Terrorism is an effective means to silence critics of Islam. Nobody wants to have to go into hiding as Salman Rushdie or the Batley teacher have had to. Critics of Islam are fired from their jobs, due directly to the cowardice of their employers. As I have myself experienced - it was quite surreal to be questioned about my views on Islam by a Physics professor! Some 4 centuries after Galileo had a similar experience from the Pope - but on the matter of planetary orbits.
My “crime”: writing a book that criticises Islam. At least I was only fired from my job, I was not put under house arrest. These cowardly employers appease the crocodile, in the hope that they can postpone being eaten. It has not taken very many terrorist attacks to enforce this widespread compliance to the will of Islam.
The three Jewish tribes residing in Medina refused to acknowledge Mohammed as a genuine prophet. They could easily see that his claims were theologically absurd. As any thinking person can see today also. One tribe was slaughtered, the other two fled. And they two were also slaughtered later, and the women and girls taken as sex slaves. A Jewish woman captive prepared a meal for Mohammed, and laced it with poison. He did not die but one of his companions did. Ordinary common sense would tell you not to eat food prepared by a woman whose husband you had murdered! That he ate some of it, and failed to warn his companions, does prove that he had no special prophetic insight.
If you are not familiar with this history of Islam, I recommend that you read the biography of Mohammed - “Sirat Rasoul Allah”. Available here:
Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/-ibn-ishaq/sirat-rasoul-allah/paperback/product-vw56vn.html
Ebook: https://www.lulu.com/shop/hellish-2050/sirat-rasoul-allah/ebook/product-yvy4pz6.html
Abrogation (effective deletion) of verses in the Koran is a key aspect of it. Muslim scholars have worked out which verses are the abrogators and which are the abrogated. Without this key information it is not possible to properly understand the Koran.
Unfortunately, a standard Koran does not tell you which verses are abrogated, and which are not. This leads to endless confusion among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Apologists for Islam like to quote the verse “no compulsion in religion”, trying to “prove” that Islam is peaceful and tolerant. They are either ignorant, or are deliberately deceitful. In either case, do not listen to them! This verse and other relatively tolerant verses are abrogated, de facto deleted.
Do not waste your time reading a standard Koran - it does not indicate which verses are abrogated. Read instead the “Abrogated Koran”:
Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/hellish-2050/abrogated-koran/paperback/product-1y58mk47.html
Ebook: https://www.lulu.com/shop/hellish-2050/abrogated-koran/ebook/product-yvydyjm.html
Do NOT make the mistake of listening to Muslims regarding Islam. They will almost certainly sugar coat it with lies and half truths. Their agenda is to assist Islam to spread worldwide, and if they can deceive non-Muslim politicians to that end, they will certainly do so. Islam permits deceit, and it is not regarded as immoral if it is “for the cause of Allah”. Ignorant non-Muslims are highly susceptible to believing their deceits. They are easily bought by flattery and money. Avoid being ignorant - I am providing you with the tools to avoid ignorance.
My main hope is that Nigel Farage MP will finally wake up to the reality of Islam. He is proving to be highly resistant to the painful truth though. If you have any influence over him, please do ask him to study it properly. And not to believe everything that his Muslim colleagues tell him! He should have listened to Rupert Lowe instead.
There are plenty of highly knowledgeable non-Muslims who understand Islam very thoroughly. Look up Robert Spencer. He has written numerous books, and has very many videos on YouTube. He was banned from entering the UK by Theresa May. Clearly his truth-telling is not permissible within our shores!
The greatest kindness that we can do for Muslims is to help them leave Islam. They are mentally enslaved to this evil ideology. For the sake of our shared humanity, we must strive to free them from these mental shackles. For their sake, and for ours - BREAK FREE FROM ISLAM.
Kind regards,
EMAILS RECEIVED
LEE DILLON
Thank you for taking the time to write to me about the Grooming Gang Inquiry and the distressing but deeply important issue of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Child sexual exploitation is one of the most despicable crimes. I support all measures that will deliver justice for survivors and prevent similarly horrific acts from occurring again in future.
It is right that the Government has now established the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs following recommendation 2 of Baroness Louise Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, published last June.
My fellow parliamentarian Rupert Lowe has established his own private inquiry, but the new Government inquiry will be more wide-ranging and thorough than Mr Lowe’s as it has the legal power to call witnesses and to require organisations to produce documents and records.
Together with my Liberal Democrat colleagues, I am urging the Government to ensure that the new inquiry proceeds with the urgency and rigour that survivors deserve, now that former Children’s Commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield has been appointed chair and its Terms of Reference have been published.
The inquiry’s Terms of Reference outline how it is to consider the backgrounds of both victims and perpetrators, and to examine whether the relevant authorities failed to properly investigate crimes due to a misplaced desire to protect community cohesion. The new inquiry will also be empowered to pass onto the police evidence of criminality wherever it comes to light, whether it be by perpetrators or those who covered up these heinous crimes.
While this new inquiry is taking place, the Government must fully implement all recommendations from previous reviews to ensure that survivors receive all appropriate support and that real change occurs as quickly as possible – especially after the former Government’s failure to act on the 20 recommendations brought forth by Professor Alexis Jay’s inquiry in 2022.
As a party, we are calling on the Government to prioritise the implementation of these recommendations and to provide clear timescales complemented by regular reporting to Parliament on their progress.
During the Committee stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, for instance, my colleague Munira Wilson put forward an amendment which, if accepted, would have committed the Government to begin implementing the recommendations of Jay’s inquiry within six months of the Act passing.
Liberal Democrats also welcome the recent introduction of a Hillsborough Law to Parliament with a duty of candour, which requires public officials and authorities to cooperate fully with inquiries, thereby improving accountability.
If interested, you can read the Early Day Motion I have signed on child sexual exploitation here.
Now is the time to prioritise justice for survivors and prevention over political point scoring so thank you once again for contacting me about this extremely important issue.
Yours
Lee
MARTIN WRIGLEY
Thank you for your email.
The Liberal Democrats support all measures that will deliver justice for victims and help these horrific acts from occurring in the future.
It is right that the Government has established an Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, following a recommendation from the Casey Review. This review must proceed with the urgency and thoroughness that victims deserve.
The Government’s Independent Inquiry has the legal power to call witnesses and to require organisations to produce documents and records - it will be more wide-ranging and thorough than Mr Lowe’s private inquiry.
No child should ever have to experience sexual abuse. These are horrifying crimes that cause so much harm to the children who are victims.
We need urgent action to stop child sexual abuse in all its forms. That means ensuring that perpetrators face the full force of the law, while steps are taken to make sure these sorts of crimes can’t keep happening in the future.
Liberal Democrats will support whatever works best to bring that change forward. Another inquiry should be part of making that happen.
But we should not forget that a seven year long inquiry into child sexual abuse - chaired by Professor Alexis Jay - has already happened, which brought forward 20 recommendations to better protect children in the future. The previous Conservative government sat on their hands and failed to make any progress at implementing these.
The Conservatives’ inaction was shameful - and it’s disgraceful that they are now choosing to use the victims of this scandal as a political football.
Now, the Conservatives have tabled a motion blocking the Children’s Wellbeing Bill that they’re saying would secure a national inquiry for victims of child sexual abuse - but that just isn’t true.
Ultimately, voting for their motion would have only one result - killing the Children’s Wellbeing Bill altogether. That Bill includes many important measures relating to child protection and safeguarding which we have long been calling for.
So we did not support the Conservatives’ motion which - rather than introduce an inquiry - would prevent the passage of important child safeguarding measures. Instead, Liberal Democrats are laying an amendment to the Bill at committee stage calling on the recommendations to be enacted in full.
Liberal Democrats will be using every opportunity we have to push for real action to tackle the child sexual abuse scandal, including by implementing the 20 Jay recommendations as quickly as possible.
And we will keep up the pressure to make sure the government doesn’t drag its heels - so that the action needed to make our communities safe for girls and all children finally happens.
Best regards,
Martin Wrigley MP
Member of Parliament for Newton Abbot
KEVIN HOLLINRAKE
Thank you for your email.
I have followed the independent inquiry led by Rupert Lowe closely and have spoken to him about it. Kemi Badenoch has also expressed her support for his work on this matter, for which he has thanked her. Many of the survivors and witnesses involved in that inquiry have also supported Chris Philp and the Conservative Party to help us develop policy and help hold the Government to account. Indeed, some of these individuals appeared at a press conference Kemi held at the tail end of last year on exactly this.
It is quite simply disgraceful that for far too long the suffering of victims was overlooked or ignored. The testimony and evidence heard from survivors demonstrates the need for a strong inquiry that leaves no stone unturned. We must take robust action to ensure justice is served, which is why my colleagues and I pushed the Government to conduct a statutory inquiry with the power to compel evidence. This must include evidence relating to the trafficking of victims to conceal these crimes.
While it was right to launch a national statutory inquiry, it was shameful that the Government had to be forced into doing so after initially trying to block it. It was disgraceful that they failed to take survivors’ concerns seriously and managed to lose their trust. We must take action to ensure the inquiry provides the answers survivors deserve. This includes exploring every location where these crimes occurred and examining factors such as ethnicity, given evidence that many cases of group-based child sexual exploitation have involved men from Asian or Pakistani backgrounds.
I am aware of evidence suggesting that women and girls may have been trafficked to Pakistan by their abusers. The fact that individuals in authority may have failed to intervene to prevent this is reprehensible. For this reason the Shadow Home Secretary has urged the Government to include an investigation into these claims as part of the national inquiry. Any evidence of criminal behaviour must be fully investigated by the police so that those responsible face the full weight of the law. Regarding the Early Day Motion, as a member of the Shadow Cabinet, I do not routinely sign EDMs.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards,
Kevin
JOHN WHITTINGDALE
Thank you for your email regarding the Early Day Motion tabled by Rupert Lowe.
The issue of child exploitation, trafficking and organised abuse is one of the most serious matters Parliament and the criminal justice system must confront. It is vital that perpetrators are pursued, prosecuted and punished, and that victims receive proper protection and support.
As a matter of principle, I rarely sign Early Day Motions. They are primarily symbolic parliamentary tools and seldom lead directly to legislative or policy change. My focus is on raising issues through debates, questions to Ministers, committee work and engagement with the relevant authorities, where there is a clearer route to action and accountability.
That does not reflect any lack of concern about the subject. Safeguarding children and tackling exploitation must remain a national priority, and it is essential that this work is evidence-led, properly resourced and carried out without fear or favour.
While strong views are often expressed in this area, it is important that responses are responsible, fact-based and focused on protecting victims and securing convictions, rather than becoming drawn into wider political or community division.
With best wishes
John Whittingdale
Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale OBE MP
Member of Parliament for Maldon
DAVID MUNDELL
Thank you for contacting me about the separate Rape Gang Inquiry, and the evidence it has received.
The testimony and evidence we have heard from survivors demonstrates the need for not only a strong inquiry that leaves no stone unturned, but also robust police action to identify and prosecute anyone who participated in or enabled these terrible crimes to happen. That is why my colleagues and I pushed the Government to conduct a statutory inquiry so it would have the ability to compel the production of evidence, including evidence relating to the trafficking of victims to conceal these crimes.
While I believe it was right to launch a national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs, it was shameful that the Government had to be forced into doing it. Rather than doing so willingly, they initially tried to block it. There were also repeated smears by Ministers and the Prime Minister.
It was disgraceful that the Government failed to take survivors’ concerns seriously and that it was forced into accepting an inquiry. In addition, in setting the inquiry up, the Government managed to lose the trust of survivors. Therefore, I understand the concerns that survivors have with the process. The inquiry needs to provide the answers they deserve. It is also why the inquiry must explore any location where these terrible crimes occurred; examine matters such as ethnicity, given the evidence that many cases of group-based child sexual exploitation have involved men from Asian or Pakistani ethnic backgrounds; and ensure that that anyone who has committed criminal offences is identified and faces the full weight of the law.
I am aware of evidence that has been given to the independent Rape Gang Inquiry which suggests that women and girls may have been trafficked to Pakistan by their abusers, as well as within the UK. In addition, individuals in positions of authority failed to stop the abuse and may also have failed to intervene to prevent the trafficking of victims abroad. To exploit these individuals in this manner would be reprehensible and must be thoroughly examined. For this reason, the Shadow Home Secretary, has urged the Government to include an investigation into these claims as part of the national inquiry into grooming gangs. Furthermore, any evidence of criminal behaviour by either the perpetrators of these crimes or those whole enabled them should be fully investigated by the police.
Kind regards,
PETER BEDFORD
Thank you for writing to Peter Bedford MP regarding Rupert Lowe and EDM 2768.
Peter is in full support of Mr Lowe’s attempts to raise the need for a full enquiry into Rape/Grooming Gangs and other serious Child abuse issues including Trafficking.
Peter has already signed the Early Day Motion – this can be seen here: EDM 2768
We cannot let serious crimes like these slip away only to see them repeated again and again with yet more victims being dragged into misery.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact Peter Bedford. You can follow Peter’s activities as your MP here:
https://www.peterbedford.uk
where you can also sign-up to receive regular updates regarding local and national issues.
Kind regards.
ANDREW ROSSINDELL
Thank you for your e-mail regarding an Early Day Motion tabled by Rupert Lowe M.P.
I am pleased to confirm that I have already signed the motion in question.
Kind regards,
ANDREW GRIFFITH
Thank you for your email.
Child sexual exploitation is one of the most serious crimes imaginable. The victims deserve justice, and those responsible must face the full force of the law. Where there have been institutional failures — by police, councils or others — those must be confronted openly and corrected. No concern about community relations should ever override the protection of children.
With regard to the Early Day Motion you reference, I do not generally add my name to EDMs. They rarely lead directly to legislative change and are often used as political signals rather than practical mechanisms for action. My focus is on supporting measures that strengthen policing, improve safeguarding, and ensure accountability through Parliament in ways that lead to tangible outcomes.
I also want to be clear that criminality rests with those who commit it. It is right to examine cultural factors where relevant to specific cases, but I do not accept the characterisation of an entire faith community in the terms you describe. The vast majority of British Muslims are law-abiding citizens who abhor abuse and extremism. Combating serious crime and defending liberal democratic values must be done without descending into hostility towards whole communities.
Thank you again for your email.
Kind regards,
Andrew
Andrew Griffith MP
Member of Parliament for Arundel & South Downs
Shadow Secretary for Business and Trade
KIERAN MULLAN
Thank you for contacting me about the inquiry into grooming gangs.
The Government absolutely had to launch a statutory national inquiry. Rather than doing so willingly, however, they initially tried to block it. There were repeated smears by Ministers and the Prime Minister. It was disgraceful that the Government failed to take survivors’ concerns seriously and that it was forced into accepting an inquiry.
When the Government did finally announce a statutory inquiry, it then spent an inordinate amount of time finding a chair and setting the terms of reference. During the process, they also managed to lose the trust of several members of the survivors’ panel. This is completely unacceptable, survivors deserve better.
In contrast, during that period the Conservative Party published draft terms of reference for an inquiry which would have created a judge-led process, putting survivors at the centre and giving the powers necessary to examine whether the offending was influenced by specific ethnic and cultural dynamics. The time this process has taken and the way it has ostracised particular survivors is unacceptable. The Inquiry must make sure it does not make the same mistakes.
Of course, I welcome the Government announcement of the terms of reference for the inquiry. However, there are still questions to be answered around the scope of the inquiry. The terms of reference state that it will consider which local areas to review, which will then be agreed between the Government and the Inquiry within three months of the formal setting-up date. It is paramount that the Inquiry truly explores the geographical scope of these crimes, recognising that this heinous crime has been estimated to have impacted over 50 areas across the country. It is also critical that the cultural and ethnic dimensions of these crimes appropriately explored. These are issues that Baroness Casey was clear had been shied away from. The fact that many cases of group-based child sexual exploitation have involved men from Asian/Pakistani ethnic backgrounds needs to be explored, not avoided.
Now that the details of the inquiry have been announced, the inquiry must be committed to leaving no stone unturned to give survivors the answers they deserve, no matter how uncomfortable the truth may be.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Kieran
Dr Kieran Mullan MP
Member of Parliament for Bexhill & Battle
IAIN DUNCAN SMITH
Thank you for drawing my attention to the EDM 2768 on Rape gang overseas trafficking. Unfortunately it is my policy not to sign EDMs.
This is because EDMs have no chance of changing the law and will not raise your concerns at a Ministerial level. I will however write directly to the Home Secretary asking her to respond to the important matter that you have raised. I will come back to you as soon as I receive a reply.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
The Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP
Member of Parliament for Chingford & Woodford Green
ASHLEY FOX
Thank you for your email. The Conservative Party is supporting Mr Lowe’s Inquiry – in fact he has actually singled our my leader, Kemi Badenoch MP, for praise for doing so. Additionally Conservative MPs have also attended the inquiry to provide evidence.
These vile rape gangs are a scourge on our society and we need to do everything we can to explore the extent, organisation and motivation behind them so that we can hold those responsible to account.
I think though that I have mentioned in the past that I do not sign EDMs. Sadly they have no legislative weight. So although I am supporting the inquiry – I will won’t be signing the EDM.
Yours sincerely,
Ashley Fox MP
Website: www.ashleyfox.org.uk | Facebook: Ashley7Fox |
RACHEL GILMOUR
Thank you for contacting me on this deeply concerning and important subject.
Child sexual abuse is one of the most despicable crimes, and we support anything that will deliver justice for the victims and help prevent these sickening acts from ever happening again. Baroness Casey’s review has brought forward important, far-reaching recommendations and I hope the government implements them with the urgency they deserve. We’re focused on pushing for real change and supporting the victims, so we will work to ensure the Government implements all the Casey and Jay recommendations as swiftly as possible.
What we need to focus on here is delivering justice for the victims and preventing these sickening acts from happening again. It’s disgraceful that some political parties are treating the victims as political footballs, particularly after years of inaction from the former Conservative government who stalled on implementing any of the 20 recommendations from the previous Jay review.
The Liberal Democrats have always been clear that we support whatever action is needed to deliver justice and prevent these sickening acts from happening again, including another inquiry.
Of course, we need to ensure that this new inquiry is as impactful as possible and delivers the real change that victims deserve. A Hillsborough Law would create a “duty of candour” that requires public officials and authorities to cooperate fully with an inquiry like this - so it’s deeply disappointing that the Government has delayed bringing this forward. We will keep pushing them to keep this promise and finally introduce a Hillsborough Law.
Our attention is on improving the situation for young people who are at risk. That prioritises getting the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill through Parliament, which has many important measures relating to child protection and safeguarding for which we have long been calling. We’re focused on pushing for real change and supporting the victims.
Thank you again for contacting me. If you wish to discuss this further, or wish to discuss any other issues, then please contact my office to arrange a surgery session.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Gilmour
MP for Tiverton and Minehead
APHRA BRANDRETH
Thank you for contacting me about the inquiry into grooming gangs.
The Government absolutely had to launch a statutory national inquiry. Rather than doing so willingly, however, they initially tried to block it. There were repeated smears by Ministers and the Prime Minister. It was disgraceful that the Government failed to take survivors’ concerns seriously and that it was forced into accepting an inquiry.
When the Government did finally announce a statutory inquiry, it then spent an inordinate amount of time finding a chair and setting the terms of reference. During the process, they also managed to lose the trust of several members of the survivors’ panel. This is completely unacceptable, survivors deserve better.
In contrast, during that period the Conservative Party published draft terms of reference for an inquiry which would have created a judge-led process, putting survivors at the centre and giving the powers necessary to examine whether the offending was influenced by specific ethnic and cultural dynamics. The time this process has taken and the way it has ostracised particular survivors is unacceptable. The Inquiry must make sure it does not make the same mistakes.
I welcome the Government announcement of the terms of reference for the inquiry. However, there are still questions to be answered around the scope of the inquiry. The terms of reference state that it will consider which local areas to review, which will then be agreed between the Government and the Inquiry within three months of the formal setting-up date. It is paramount that the Inquiry truly explores the geographical scope of these crimes, recognising that this heinous crime has been estimated to have impacted over 50 areas across the country. It is also critical that the cultural and ethnic dimensions of these crimes appropriately explored. These are issues that Baroness Casey was clear had been shied away from. The fact that many cases of group-based child sexual exploitation have involved men from Asian/Pakistani ethnic backgrounds needs to be explored, not avoided.
Now that the details of the inquiry and draft terms have been announced, the inquiry must be committed to leaving no stone unturned to give survivors the answers they deserve, no matter how uncomfortable the truth may be.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Best wishes,
Aphra
Aphra Brandreth MP
Member of Parliament for Chester South & Eddisbury
CAROLINE NOKES
Thank you for your email - as a Deputy Speaker I cannot sign this sort of motion as if it is debated in the House I cannot have acted in a way which would undermine the impartiality of the Chair.
Yours
Caroline
Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP
Member of Parliament for Romsey and Southampton North
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