Paul Waugh MP: Grooming Inquiry Must “Follow the Evidence Wherever It Leads”
Rochdale’s MP has urged the government to ensure that the chair of the national grooming gangs inquiry should have the confidence of victims of abuse.
Mr Waugh asked safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to confirm that the inquiry would not shy away from the role of race and class in the grooming scandals.
He also praised the record of ex-police chief Jim Gamble who is now the favoured candidate to chair the inquiry.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Waugh called on the Minister to confirm that the inquiry would “follow the evidence wherever it leads” and would not avoid examining the role of race and class in grooming scandals that have devastated communities across the country.
Mr Waugh told the Commons:
“I know the Minister won’t want to comment on individual candidates to chair the National Grooming Inquiry. Can I just put on record that Jim Gamble is a highly regarded police officer with a long, long experience of dealing with this. His leadership of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre proved what a fearless and fiercely independent figure he was, with a real track record of tracking down sick paedophiles online and offline.
But does she agree that the Chair of this inquiry has to be someone who can earn the trust of those who have been let down far too long by those in positions of authority? And can she confirm, as I hope she will, that the inquiry will not shy away from issues of race or class and will follow the evidence wherever it leads?”
In response, the Minister confirmed that the inquiry would address those issues directly, saying that the Home Office has now asked police forces across the country to collect data on ethnicity.
After the debate, Mr Waugh said:
“I’ve urged the government to make sure the inquiry has the full confidence of victims and survivors, and that it tackles the hard questions of race and class head-on.
Former police chief Jim Gamble has a fearless record of protecting children and holding power to account — exactly the kind of independence and integrity this inquiry needs.”