Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch sought to argue the scale of the child grooming scandal demands further investigation. But her method is cynical, seemingly seeking a prized retweet from Troll-in-Chief Elon Musk by proposing a wrecking amendment to call for a national inquiry on a bill which ministers argue will help protect vulnerable children.
The Government is determined to bat away calls for another inquiry, arguing it would take years and years and the focus now should be action.
Nonetheless, the attempt to amend the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to call for a national probe will become a headache for Labour MPs because the Tories will be able to point to their rejection of an inquiry into revolting crimes against children.
Just as Speaker Lindsay Hoyle announced he would select the amendment which would have killed off the bill entirely, the Tories released a social media graphic depicting Starmer as a blocker to a national inquiry. Expect to see individual Labour MPs dealt the same treatment on Facebook and elsewhere in the next few weeks and forced to explain why a national inquiry isn’t necessary.
“How much further does it go? Do people get attacked, or, even worse, killed? It’s quite a febrile atmosphere,” a Labour MP told The i Paper. Another said on Wednesday afternoon their inbox had filled up with emails asking why they were blocking a national inquiry.
“We don’t need to repeat the work that has already been done. Let’s look at new areas,” she said, a fresh inquiry could explore “if there was a racial and cultural motivation to some of these crimes”.
He also challenged her to tell MPs when she had raised the topic in the Commons in her eight years as an MP, including during her time as a children’s minister and women and equalities minister. Badenoch replied that he was being “very specific” because she would not have been able to raise the matter as a minister, but that she had spoken about it in speeches elsewhere. Her spokesman later said she had yet to meet any victims of the grooming scandal.
Kemi Badenoch can't win in Elon Musk's dystopian world
Read MoreThe Tories have set up an online petition to try to harvest public opinion on the issue, to heap more pressure on ministers to change their minds.
“Insincere though it may be, I will vote for it, we will vote for it, but I beg those on the other side to think whether they believe their constituents need to know the truth about this great evil,” Farage said.
“Shame!” Chancellor Rachel Reeves shouted at her. Phillips was furious, gesturing wildly at the Tories opposite as Badenoch tried to lecture the government on safeguarding.
In Parliament Starmer was on firm ground showing up Badenoch’s politicking. Even some Tories were sheepish about her posturing. But in one of her best lines, which will no doubt be recycled in future, she urged Starmer to “be a leader, not a lawyer”. It was immediately picked up by Musk.
Away from Parliament, it takes time and energy to explain why you haven’t ordered a national inquiry. Labour MPs are going to have to explain it repeatedly and justify the decision. The jury is out but in the court of public opinion Badenoch may yet be the winner.
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