Walton’s Dan Carden has accused his party in government of ‘failing to take the high ground’ in a strongly worded statement
17:52, 11 Jan 2025Updated 17:58, 11 Jan 2025
Dan Carden has spoken out about what he says are ‘unspeakable rape gangs’
A Liverpool Labour MP has spoken out about what he says are ‘unspeakable rape gangs’ and called on his party in government to act. Dan Carden has made a strongly worded intervention to the ongoing debate around calls for a new, national inquiry into grooming gangs.
On Wednesday, MPs rejected a Conservative amendment to the government’s children’s well-being and schools bill – which called for a new inquiry. If the amendment had passed, the bill – which includes measures to protect children – would have been blocked.
That vote came after a growing row on the issue spurred on by X owner Elon Musk who has launched vitriolic attacks on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. This came after news that Ms Phillips had rejected a request from Oldham Council for an inquiry into sex abuse in the Greater Manchester town.
Now Liverpool Labour MP Dan Carden has spoken out on the issue and criticised his party in government, stating that ‘the public call for justice must be heeded.’ Speaking exclusively to the ECHO, Mr Carden also said the country must ‘question and challenge the orthodoxy of progressive liberal multiculturalism that led to authorities failing to act’ over historic grooming scandals.
The MP said: “The British public want action and justice on the unspeakable rape gangs. The scale of the crimes committed – rape, murder, torture – are horrific.
“The public compassion for the victims, thousands of young British working class girls and children is real. The public call for justice must be heeded.
“It is shocking that people in positions of power could have covered up and refused to act to avoid confronting racial or cultural issues or because victims were poor and working class.
“We must question and challenge the orthodoxy of progressive liberal multiculturalism that led to authorities failing to act. We need a new doctrine to take our multi-ethnic society into the future.
Challenging his party leader, the Labour MP added: “Both Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips have strong records in this area and yet the government has failed to take the high ground. It must communicate a clear message about whose side it is on and now direct the state to implement the rule of law without fear of favour and deliver justice.
“The Prime Minister must use the full power of the state to deliver justice. It must continue to unflinchingly pursue the perpetrators and bring to account those in positions of authority who turned a blind eye ,failed to act, or gave political cover to the gangs.
“The outcome must include acknowledging the racial and ethnic hatred of this mass sexual violence. This is not an obsession of the far right. I am speaking out because over the decades there have been far too few Labour voices expressing clear disgust and outrage at these heinous crimes, their cover-up and the lack of action.”
Mr Carden’s strong statement will add pressure to the government as the row over grooming gangs continues. This week Greater Manchester Labour mayor Andy Burnham said he believes there is a case for a ‘limited’ national inquiry on the issue, which could draw on a number of local reviews that have been carried out.
In 2014 a national inquiry into child sexual abuse in the country was launched by then Prime Minister Theresa May. The report was published in 2022 and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the government will now be looking to implement the recommendations from that inquiry.
This week Professor Alexis Jay, who led the original national inquiry said victims ‘clearly want action’ and that another inquiry was not needed. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions this week, Sir Keir Starmer accused Tory leader Kemi Badenoch of jumping on the bandwagon over the grooming issue.
He said: “She met her recently acquired view that it’s a scandal, having spent a lot of time on social media over Christmas.
“Not once in eight years did she stand here and say what she just said.”