Home Secretary to address MPs after PM’s dramatic reversal on national inquiry he once dismissed as playing into ‘far-right’ narratives
YVETTE Cooper is preparing to make a major grooming gangs announcement in the Commons today after more than 800 cases were identified by police following her orders to revisit investigations that had “closed too early.”
The Home Secretary, who just last month rejected calls for a nationwide probe, is set to address MPs following the publication of Baroness Louise Casey’s explosive locally-produced rape gangs review that prompted Sir Keir Starmer’s dramatic weekend U-turn.
In a stunning reversal, the Prime Minister has now thrown his weight behind a national inquiry – just six months after dismissing such calls as “far-right” and accusing campaigners of “jumping on the bandwagon.”
‘We are changing that now’
In a statement released ahead of her Commons appearance at around 5:30pm, the Home Secretary acknowledged the historic failures that allowed vulnerable girls to be systematically abused.
The vulnerable young girls who suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of groups of adult men have now grown into brave women who are rightly demanding justice for what they went through when they were just children,” Cooper said.
“Not enough people listened to them then. That was wrong and unforgivable. We are changing that now.”
800 cases reopened
The scale of the scandal has become clearer after Cooper revealed that police forces have already identified more than 800 grooming gang cases following her directive to re-examine investigations that were closed prematurely.
More than 800 grooming gang cases have already been identified by police after I asked them to look again at cases which had closed too early,” the Home Secretary confirmed.
The National Crime Agency – often dubbed “Britain’s FBI” – will now lead a major nationwide operation to track down perpetrators who evaded justice and bring them to court.
Casey’s damning report
Baroness Casey’s near 200-page report, which prompted Starmer’s U-turn, is expected to deliver a devastating verdict on institutional failures.
Sources familiar with the document say it will warn that white British girls were “institutionally ignored for fear of racism” and detail a decade of lost action following the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
The report is also expected to draw links between illegal immigration and the exploitation of young girls, adding another explosive dimension to the scandal.
From ‘far-right’ to full inquiry
The Government’s dramatic reversal marks an extraordinary climbdown for Starmer, who had previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry in the strongest terms.
Just months ago, the Prime Minister accused those demanding action of playing into “far-right narratives” and “whipping up intimidation and violence.
As recently as last week, Labour MPs voted down a Conservative motion calling for a national inquiry, with ministers insisting they would focus on implementing recommendations from Professor Alexis Jay’s seven-year investigation.
National operation launched
The Home Office confirmed that the National Crime Agency will spearhead a nationwide operation targeting grooming gang members who sexually exploited children.
The NCA will work with police forces across the country and specialist officers from:
- The Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce
- Operation Hydrant (which handles complex child abuse cases)
- The Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme
The operation will particularly focus on cases that “were not progressed through the criminal justice system” in the past.
Political pressure mounts
The announcement comes after months of intense pressure, with US billionaire Elon Musk accusing Starmer of being “deeply complicit” in the abuse during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanded the Prime Minister “recognise he made a mistake and apologise for six wasted months.
GB News host Andrew Pierce savaged the U-turn this morning, asking: “Does Starmer’s lot believe in anything? This is all, in my view, because of Reform’s success in May.”
Local inquiries continue
Despite accepting the need for a national inquiry, the Government is pressing ahead with five local inquiries and developing a new framework under barrister Tom Crowther KC.
However, Crowther has already expressed frustration with the process, revealing he texted an official “do you still want me?” amid limited communication from the Home Office.
The Conservatives have accused Labour of “watering down” their commitment after funding was redirected to “locally-led work” following feedback from councils.
Ethnic dimension acknowledged
In a significant shift, Cooper is expected to acknowledge the ethnic element of the abuse – something Labour politicians have historically been reluctant to address.
The scandal exposed how gangs of mostly Pakistani-heritage men had groomed, trafficked and raped young white girls from disadvantaged backgrounds over decades.
Cooper has promised to order the collection of better ethnicity data going forward and will read out statistics on the known scale of the problem.
Survivors demand action
As the Government scrambles to contain the political damage, the focus remains on the survivors who have waited years for justice.
Many victims, some of whom lived in children’s homes, were targeted by gangs who exploited their vulnerability with devastating consequences.
The crackdown aims to bring “long-awaited justice and prevent more children from being hurt by these vile criminals,” according to the Home Office.
With 800 cases already identified and a major police operation underway, the true scale of Britain’s grooming gangs scandal may finally be revealed – but questions remain about why it took a “far-right” campaign and international pressure to force the Government’s hand.
