Pressure mounts on No 10 over grooming inquiry as survivors list demands

The government is under increasing pressure to take control of the grooming gang investigation after conditions for the return of abuse victims who left their roles in the process were outlined.

Chief among the demands published in a joint letter to the home secretary was the resignation of Protection Minister Jess Phillips, whom he accused of “betrayal” over his response to four women’s concerns about the scope of the investigation.

They said Phillips had lost the trust of survivors and that he and the candidates to head the investigation were unfit for their roles. His exit would mean the government was “serious about accountability”, they added.

Home Office sources insist Phillips has the full support of the Home Secretary.

The letter arrived hours later from former senior police officer Jim Gamble. resigned from chairing the investigationHe said the political focus on “scoring points” created a “highly charged and toxic environment.”

She was the last candidate nominated after Annie Hudson, who had a background in social work, withdrew earlier in the week.

On Wednesday, Jess, not her real name, joined Fiona Goddard, Ellie Reynolds and Elizabeth (also not her real name). I’m withdrawing from the survivors panel.

They voiced concerns that those lining up to carry out investigations had policing or social work backgrounds, citing the failure of these services to bring abusers to justice.

They also said the investigation was expanded to “downplay the racial and religious motivations behind our abuse.”

Phillips said it was “not right” for the government to try to dilute the focus of the investigation and insisted the scope of the investigation would be “laser focused”.

In a joint letter written by Ms Reynolds to Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood, broadcast on channel X, they criticized Phillips for dismissing their concerns about the progress of the investigation.

“To be publicly denied and dismissed by a government minister when you are a survivor telling the truth, it takes you back to that feeling of not being believed. It’s a betrayal that destroys what little trust you have left,” they said.

Their letter lists five demands before considering returning to the panel.

These include focusing the inquiry on clearing out gangs and group child abuse, as suggested by Baroness Louise Casey, whose report recommends a statutory inquiry. They also want a senior or former judge to head the inquiry and have a say in their selection.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June A national investigation into grooming gangs It covers England and Wales, with a panel of survivors to oversee the process. However, the president has not been determined yet.

Not all survivors on the oversight panel agree with the four women; many continue to support the government’s approach.

The BBC spoke to two of these women.

Samantha Walker-Roberts, from Oldham, wants victims of other forms of sexual abuse to be included in the investigation so they are not “silenced”.

At the age of 12, he was the victim of a grooming ring; but she was also raped and abused by a man who groomed her online; As a young child, she was raped and abused by older men she met through friends.

Ms Walker-Roberts said: “This is a one-of-a-kind investigation in which survivors are in control and it is wrong that some survivors should receive special treatment for being part of it.”

He added that he had no problem with a chair with a policing or social work background as it had been “proven” to work in previous reviews.

Another supporter of the inquiry, Carly, from Huddersfield, said she believed “the most effective way to bring about meaningful change is from within” and was “hopeful” that concerns raised by others would “lead to constructive developments”.

Police whistleblower and child protection campaigner Maggie Oliver echoed survivors’ criticism of Phillips on Wednesday night, but also criticized the government’s handling of the investigation.

He told BBC Newsnight that the prime minister was “driven kicking and screaming” to announce the investigation.

“We shouldn’t fight with the government,” he said. “The investigation is being run or directed by a government that really doesn’t want it to work.”

Ms Oliver also expressed concerns about transparency and survivor involvement: “We want a judge-led inquiry… I want it to be open and include all survivors and victims who want to be involved, not just a select few.”

On Wednesday night the Home Office reiterated its determination to carry out “a full, legal, national investigation to establish the truth”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also joined calls for Phillips to be sacked, saying the investigation was about “Labor failure”.

He said: “Labour never wanted this investigation, we demanded it… Labor Ministers are the ones attacking the victims. We stand with them.”

Speaking at PMQs on Wednesday, the prime minister defended Phillips, saying she “probably has more experience of tackling violence against women and girls than anyone else in this House”.

He said “survivors have been ignored for many years” by the state and he wanted the inquiry to change that, adding “injustice will have no place to hide.”

He invited those who dropped out of the investigation to re-engage, but added that “we owe it to them” to respond to their concerns whether they participate or not.

In his speech to the MPs, he said, “The investigation has not been diluted and will never be diluted. Its scope will not change. We will examine the ethnicity and religion of the criminals and find the right person to lead the investigation.”

The Prime Minister also announced that Baroness Casey had been appointed to support the investigation’s work.

Baroness Casey previously led a “national control” A case of group-based child sexual abuse in which the ethnicity of people involved in grooming rings was revealed to have been “distanced” by the authorities.

Its findings, published in June 2025, prompted Sir Keir to order the launch of a national inquiry.