GB News host Ellie Costello confronted Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne today after accusing the Labour Government of “sweeping” the grooming gang scandal “under the carpet” by rejecting calls for a national inquiry.
In a heated exchange, Elli demanded answers on how victims could receive justice without a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.
It comes after Home Office Minister Jess Phillips rejected Oldham Council’s request for a Government-led inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation – saying the council should lead it instead.
Speaking on GB News, Ellie asked Gwynne: “How can you get action for those victims?
“How can you ensure that justice can be done without a full national inquiry, and without a full understanding of exactly what happened across this country?
Ellie ripped into the Labour MP
GB News
“This is a national scandal, that national inquiry that you have mentioned, it drew criticism at the time for its limited scope. It only focused on cases between 2011 and 2014.
“Jess Phillips talking now, saying, look, it’s up to Oldham to commission an inquiry isn’t to do with the government, isn’t anything to do with government meddling. Why are you sweeping under the carpet?”
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He responded: “This is about sweeping the carpet. This isn’t about Rochdale.”
Pushing back, Ellie replied: “We need to connect the dots in order to understand. Without understanding. How can you gain any sort of justice for these victims, these young girls?”
Gwynne said: “Because we already have a series of recommendations. Actually, it’s incumbent on this government, as it was incumbent on the previous government to implement those recommendations and to ensure that justice is done.
“I don’t think that justice is done by having another inquiry into all the same issues that we’ve already had local inquiries and in the case of child sexual exploitation and national inquiry on we know what the issues are, we know what the recommendations are.
“We need to get justice for those victims, for those girls, and we need to build into our criminal justice system and our legal system going forwards, robust mechanisms that make sure that these kind of things can never happen again. I want to see action, not words.”
In a letter to Oldham Council, seen by GB News, Phillips stated it was for the local authority “alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the government to intervene”.
Despite the Safeguarding Minister acknowledging “the strength of feeling” for a further inquiry, Phillips maintained that Oldham should “take its own approach” instead of receiving Government intervention.
The decision marks a departure from previous approaches, as similar reports have previously been commissioned and produced in other affected areas including Rochdale, Rotherham and Telford.
The rejection has sparked fierce criticism from senior Conservative figures.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman branded the decision an “outrage”, accusing Phillips of letting down victims “whose lives have been destroyed by the grooming gang scandal”.
Shadow Safeguarding Minister Alicia Kearns launched a blistering attack, warning that “rape camps” are hiding in plain sight across Britain
