DESPITE what you may have heard, the government will be launching an independent inquiry into grooming gangs. In December, I was pleased to see the Home Secretary give an update on the appointment of its chair and panel, and the inquiry’s terms of reference.

The misinformation around such a sensitive and important subject has been worrisome; the willingness of some to flagrantly politicise this issue, with no regards for the survivors of these gangs, is quite frankly disgusting. Far-right politicians, such as the despicable Rupert Lowe, whip up division and deploy dog whistles at any chance they get – they claim to champion the protection of women and girls, but were perfectly content to stay on, or even defend, X as the site’s inbuilt AI tool allowed users to non-consensually undress women and generate naked pictures of minors.

The same politicians will chastise (rightly so, I believe) the government for the Mandelson scandal and his close links to Epstein, yet say nothing on Epstein’s relationship with Trump, Farage, or Elon Musk. You can’t pick and choose when you care about violence against women and girls, being up in arms when the attacker is an immigrant, yet turning a blind eye when they belong to your political ilk. After all, we must remember that James McMurdock was elected as a Reform MP despite being jailed repeatedly for assaulting women – nor must we forget that he left Reform not for his historic violence towards women, but after allegations of dodgy COVID loans.

Selective justice is not justice; tackling violence against women and girls is a responsibility for all politicians, regardless of the colour of their rosette. In January 2025, the Conservatives put forward a motion that, yes, would have called for a national inquiry, but simultaneously would have killed a law introducing new safeguards for children. For the sake of a parliamentary stunt, the Tories were willing to pit the protection of women and girls against children’s safety. One year on, myself and colleagues (particularly female Parliamentarians) still receive torrents of abuse from understandably concerned constituents, but so often founded on the mistaken belief that a national inquiry isn’t happening. MPs should rightly hold the government to account to ensure we are doing the best we can for survivors, but it is a moral failure to see it as an opportunity to take cheap political shots.

The Government is supporting the grooming gang inquiry with £65-million, which will be concluded within three years. Whilst the inquiry works, all 21 recommendations of Baroness Casey’s review into child sexual exploitation and institutional responses are being implemented. All chief constables have been asked to revisit historic gang exploitation cases where ‘No Further Action’ was taken, opening new lines of inquiry and re-opening investigations. An extra £3.65-million has been committed to grooming gang policing operations, and for survivor support.

I believe that the inquiry must place survivors at the forefront, and whilst it can never undo the injustices that these women faced, I hope it will ensure that never again is a woman or girl so deeply let down by the institutions they are meant to be able to rely on, and trust.