Bridgwater MP Sir Ashley Fox has raised serious concerns in Parliament about the Government’s approach to tackling group-based child sexual exploitation.
Speaking during an urgent question on the issue, Ashley Fox said, “My constituents in Bridgwater are horrified by the Government’s failure to order a national inquiry into the child rape gang scandal. Does the Minister share the concerns raised by Sir Trevor Phillips that the decisions made by the Government appear to be obviously political and designed to avoid offending Muslim voters of Pakistani origin?”
The Government has faced continued pressure to take stronger action against grooming gangs. While support has been pledged for a series of local inquiries, calls remain for a single, nationwide public inquiry to fully examine systemic failures and patterns across the country.
A national audit led by Baroness Louise Casey is currently under way to assess the scale and nature of group-based abuse, including offender characteristics.
Sir Ashley Fox’s intervention reflects growing frustration among victims and communities who believe that only a full national inquiry will deliver justice and accountability.
