Tories lose vote on grooming gangs inquiry: Live

The Tories accused Labour MPs of having “turned a blind eye to justice for the victims” of grooming gangs after a Conservative bid to launch another national inquiry was rejected in a Commons vote.

The Opposition amendment, if approved, would have prevented the Government’s Bill aimed at protecting children from making progress.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “It is disgusting that Keir Starmer has used his supermajority in Parliament to block a national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal.

“Labour MPs have put their party ahead of getting to the truth and turned a blind eye to justice for the victims. Labour MPs will have to explain to the British people why they are against learning the truth behind the torture and rape of countless vulnerable girls.

“We will not let them forget this act of cowardice.”

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill has cleared its first hurdle after MPs gave it a second reading.

A Conservative amendment designed to block the Bill, and including a call for a national inquiry on grooming gangs, was rejected by by 364 votes to 111, majority 253.

The Bill later received a second reading without the need for a further formal vote.

Shouts of “no” could be heard when MPs were asked if the Bill should receive a second reading and a division was initially called but it was later cancelled.

The Bill will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.

MPs have rejected a Conservative bid to push for another national inquiry into grooming gangs.

The amendment to the Government’s draft child protection legislation was put to a Commons’ vote on Wednesday following a bitter Prime Minister’s Questions in which Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said failing to back a probe would fuel concerns about a “cover-up”.

The Conservatives had tabled the amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill demanding a new national inquiry into gangs which, if approved, would have prevented the legislation from making progress.

But MPs voted rejected the motion by 364 votes to 111, majority 253.

Labour’s Rotherham MP Sarah Champion became visibly emotional in a speech to MPs as she expressed “disgust” at remarks in the Commons by Reform MP Rupert Lowe.

Praising the children’s safety bill as addressing “a lot of the underlying problems that we have within our schools, education and indeed protection of children”, Ms Champion said: “I’ve got to say, I feel disgusted by what the honourable gentleman has just said.

“Can you imagine if you are a victim or survivor listening to that? I’m sure his intent is to get to the truth and get justice, but the language – please think about who hears our words.”

In a lengthy tirade during which he refused to give way to other MPs, Mr Lowe had urged the government to deport foreign nationals found guilty of grooming crimes, and claimed that female family members who were aware of relatives’ crimes “are just as guilty as the rapists themselves”.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has called on Kemi Badenoch to retract her claim that a proposed definition of Islamophobia included “talking about sex groomers” as an example.

Zara Mohammed, secretary-general of the MCB, said: “Let me be absolutely clear – British Muslims unequivocally support the thorough investigation and prosecution of all child abusers, regardless of background. The MCB will support yet another investigation if proponents can explain why previous inquiries costing millions have not given them the answers they are looking for.

“Those who seek to weaponise this issue against Muslims have already received answers they didn’t want from previous inquiries. Yet they persist in pursuing a divisive agenda rather than focusing on protecting children through evidence-based approaches.

“What we will not accept is the cynical exploitation of child protection issues to demonise British Muslims. Mrs Badenoch’s comments represent a new low in the Conservative Party’s persistent refusal to tackle anti-Muslim prejudice within its ranks.

“The Opposition leader should retract her misleading claims and focus instead on supporting evidence-based approaches to protecting all children in our society.”

Nigel Farage has suggested Reform UK will fund an inquiry into child sexual abuse if the Government fails to do so.

The Reform UK leader said his party will raise the money and appoint “independent arbiters” to conduct the national inquiry.

As MPs debated the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the Clacton MP told the Commons there is “overwhelming” support across the political spectrum for an inquiry.

He said:  “If the Government won’t do this – and I do believe there is now overwhelming support on all sides of the political spectrum for this, and Parliament should not be in denial about this – if it doesn’t, then we will raise the money at Reform UK and appoint independent arbiters, because we need the truth to be out there.”

SNP leader John Swinney has said he is concerned by the moderation changes at Facebook and Instagram, while signalling that he may reconsider the Scottish Government’s use of X, formerly Twitter, in future.

Meta has announced that Facebook and Instagram will move away from using third-party fact checkers to flag misleading content in favour of user-based notes similar to X.

Kemi Badenoch has refused to restore the whip to Sayeeda Warsi, despite her being cleared of wrongdoing over a tweet calling Rishi Sunak a coconut.

The former party chair resigned the Tory whip in the Lords in September when it emerged she was being investigated over the tweet.

The Independent has now learned that the disciplinary panel cleared Baroness Warsi of being “divisive” and “bringing the party into disrepute”. But despite this, the Tory chief whip has written to the peer, who was UK’s first Muslim cabinet member, saying she is not welcome back in the party.

Baroness Warsi said she was being targeted for warning of rising levels of Islamophobia in the party.

Our political editor David Maddox has the exclusive report: