Ex-Shadow International Development Minister Dan Carden has become the first sitting Labour MP to demand a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.
Carden, who abstained on Wednesday’s Tory amendment, joins Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and former Shadow Europe Minister Khalid Mahmood in breaking ranks with Sir Keir Starmer.
Carden told GB News that he “backs an inquiry or other action from the state”.
The Liverpool Walton MP also rejected the suggestion that demanding an inquiry was a “far right obsession”.
The remark appears to challenge the Prime Minister’s claim that MPs were “jumping on a bandwagon” and “amplifying what the far right is saying” to gain attention.
Speaking to The Liverpool Echo, Carden 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.”
He 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.”
Carden’s decision to break ranks with Starmer will put pressure on the Prime Minister to do more to address grievances from victims of grooming gangs.
Starmer already opened the door to U-turning on his staunch opposition to a national inquiry.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed Starmer would push for an inquiry if victims’ groups indicated they wanted a new probe.
He also said that No10 would “reject” claims it was a U-turn, instead insisting that the Prime Minister would pursue a “victims-first approach”.
However, Labour MPs were whipped on Wednesday to vote down Kemi Badenoch’s attempt to force a national inquiry.
A total of 362 MPs opposed the grooming gangs amendment, including 350 Labour MPs.
Carden joined 48 other Labour MPs in abstaining on the motion.
Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, the Prime Minister had claimed there have already been a number of inquiries into the grooming gang scandal.
However, Burnham argued that the scope of the inquiry that he commissioned in Oldham did not have the same legal powers.
Calling for a “limited” probe, the Greater Manchester Mayor said: I will add my voice into this and say I do think there is the case for a limited national inquiry that draws on reviews like the one that I commissioned, and the one we have seen in Rotherham, the one we have seen in Telford, to draw out some of these national issues and compel people to give evidence who then may have charges to answer and be held to account.”
Mahmood, who was the first British Pakistani Muslim to be elected to the House of Commons in 2001, added: “The victims have been abused for all their lives and they need some closure on this.”
