British lawmakers voted Wednesday against launching a national inquiry into the UK’s grooming gang scandal, after objections to the way the vote was presented – and amid international scrutiny of the crisis by Elon Musk.
The House of Commons has passed an amendment to launch a statutory inquiry into the scandal – in which it was revealed that men of predominantly Pakistani origin had sexually abused girls for years in towns across northern England .
This is an amendment to a child welfare and schools bill supported by the Labor government. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that a vote in favor of the amendment would kill the entire bill to which it was attached. The amendment was rejected by 364 votes to 111 in the Labour-controlled chamber, Sky News reported.
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“What we need now is action. What cannot be tolerated is the idea that this afternoon MPs across the aisle will vote against a bill that protects children.” , Starmer said before the vote, calling it a “destructive amendment”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses members of the Labor Party conference in Liverpool, England, on Tuesday. (PA)
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch backed down.
“Be a leader, not a lawyer,” she told him, saying a new inquiry should investigate related issues between the cities.
“The reason a national investigation is important is because this issue is systemic,” she said, involving “local and national officials, police, prosecutors and politicians.”
“These interrelated issues cannot be covered by local surveys alone,” she said.
Previous reports had found evidence of “appalling” abuse, with more than 1,400 girls abused between 1997 and 2013 in Rotherham alone. Reports also revealed that authorities had been afraid of stoking racism in their handling of the crimes, given the ethnic makeup of the perpetrators. The scandal is inspired by growing concerns about multiculturalism and mass immigration.
The issue came to the fore again recently after local authorities in Oldham called on the government to launch a national inquiry into the town’s handling of the crisis. A 2022 report found that children had been left behind by authorities, but found no cover-up despite fears that right-wing activists would take advantage.
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The British government rejected the request, saying any investigation should be organized at a local level. This in turn prompted calls from Badenoch and Elon Musk for a national investigation.
The Palace of Westminster, the Houses of Parliament, in the heart of London.
“Across the country, thousands of girls were tortured and sexually abused by men who treated them like objects to be used and discarded, destroying many lives forever. The Prime Minister mentioned previous investigations. He is right , there was an investigation into child sexual abuse, but it wasn’t about the rape gang scandal,” Badenoch said.
Musk, who has pressed the issue of
President-elect Trump and Elon Musk attend a SpaceX spacecraft launch on November 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“Please call your MP and tell them that the hundreds of thousands of little girls in Britain who have been, and still are, systematically and horribly gang-raped deserve some justice in this world,” he said. Musk on X Wednesday.
“It’s vitally important, otherwise this is going to continue to happen,” he said.
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Starmer previously denounced “lies and misinformation” without naming Musk directly, and accused British politicians of jumping on the “far-right bandwagon”.
On Wednesday, he again accused Badenoch of jumping on the bandwagon and urged lawmakers to ensure the broader bill passed.
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“One of the provisions of the bill aims to protect today’s vulnerable children who are out of school from abuse taking them out of school. I implore members opposite to defy the deceptive leadership of the Leader of the Opposition and vote for a truly important bill. »
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
