Thread by @RobertJenrick

Today is a day of shame for Labour.

Starmer’s arguments for blocking an inquiry into rape gangs do not survive contact with reality.

He is preventing answers and accountability for thousands of young girls who were abused in monstrous ways.

A thread 🧵 (1/12)

Starmer’s central argument against an inquiry is the strawman that we should instead be focussed on delivering on the recommendations of the Jay Report. It is, of course, perfectly possible to do two things at once.

(2/12)

When the Grenfell inquiry was taking place, for instance, the last government pressed ahead removing dangerous cladding concurrently. Everyone rightly demanded both.

(3/12)

Starmer said that the previous Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse covers the issue. However it only looked at 6 towns, and we now know that abuse took place in as many as 50 towns and cities.

(4/12)

That’s why when the Home Secretary was asked how many victims there were, for instance, in Bradford, she simply couldn’t answer. Nobody knows.

(5/12)

Starmer cannot possibly expect 50 councils, some of whom have been found to be in complete denial, to all conduct local reviews.

So in denying a national inquiry he is content to never uncover the truth about what happened in those communities.

(6/12)

These local reviews rarely take place, but when they do they can be incredibly flawed.

Starmer gave the example of Manchester, but he didn’t mention that the two individuals who led it have resigned after they were blocked from accessing information.

(7/12)

Unlike a national inquiry, local reviews rarely have the legal power to compel witnesses to attend.

The huge dangers in allowing local authorities complicit in the most appalling cover up of this scandal to mark their own homework are blindingly obvious.

(8/12)

Even after the Alexis Jay review’s scathing critique of Rotherham Council, Louise Casey, sent by the Government to sort it out, still found them ‘in denial’.

This is how Casey described the situation in Rotherham:

(9/12)

Starmer claims those calling for an inquiry are jumping on the bandwagon.

Whether politicians acted enough in the past isn’t the test for having an inquiry today. In fact, past failures of Whitehall only strengthen the case for a full national inquiry today.

(10/12)

Starmer raised the fair point that inquiries can be long and expensive.

But why then has he called for 10 inquiries since 2020? Why is the systemic rape of vulnerable little girls not worthy?

A public inquiry could be time-limited as @KemiBadenoch is demanding.

(11/12)

Starmer’s arguments don't hold and will only fuel the widespread perception of a cover-up.

Meanwhile he smears those who dare to point this out as “far-Right”, displaying the same attitude that led to this appalling scandal continuing for so long.

(12/END)