I was in the room as Kemi Badenoch declared war on grooming gangs | Politics | News
Sitting next to survivor Fiona Goddard, Kemi Badenoch laid out her plan to be at the forefront of the national response to one of the biggest scandals this country has ever seen. The Tory leader, who has been gleefully tearing apart Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for weeks over the economy, benefits and chaos in Downing Street, has adopted a more stateswoman-like appeal to call for collective action against rape gangs.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp even said he would be happy for the Government to fully embrace their plans.
But there is no doubt that this has an obvious political aspect.
And it’s an advantage of standing up for victims and survivors after enduring decades of failures, neglect, and cover-ups.
Famous TV presenter and former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, revealed Labour’s problem with the crisis earlier this year, saying the party’s response to the scandal since taking office had been “very obviously political” because they were afraid of offending Muslim and Pakistani voters.
Many on the right of British politics believe Labor is at an impasse on this issue because they could offend so many of their voters.
And Ms Badenoch put the issue of ethnicity and culture at the center of her plans.
The Conservative leader said the inquiry should “leave no stone unturned” and investigate these areas thoroughly. Despite the potential political implications, Labor is now forced to address this issue.
His determination to seize the moment and avoid past mistakes where issues were swept under the rug was made clear when he said cultural institutions such as mosques could be forced to provide evidence.
So this press conference told us two very important things about Kemi Badenoch.
First, it is willing to work with different parties to solve some of the biggest problems of our time. As you may recall, a similar proposal was made after Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood announced plans to overhaul the asylum system. This becomes a pattern of sorts…
But second, the Conservative Party leader is willing to talk uncomfortable truths. He is ready to upset people in his pursuit of the truth.
And most survivors would welcome that.
Because for years they have felt ignored, abandoned and betrayed by a political class that is not particularly bothered by the abuse inflicted on them. Politicians were more concerned about avoiding awkward conversations.
Bringing all perpetrators to justice and imprisoning those involved in the cover-up is the minimum the state can do to right the wrongs in this scandal.
Because while the focus is on the gangs we already know exist, fears that girls are now being groomed and raped are intensifying. There are new victims because for decades the state has failed to properly address this issue for fear of being labeled racist and to help maintain social cohesion.
The pain of this scandal was very deep. And it can take decades to heal.
