‘If she cared about child protection she wouldn’t be doing that. It’s a disgrace, you’re a disgrace.’
Labour MP Nadia Whittome slammed Kemi Badenoch for using child sexual exploitation “to score political points” during Prime Minister’s Questions today.
With tomorrow’s local elections looming, Badenoch used her questions to Keir Starmer to focus on grooming gang inquiries and to accuse Labour of “cover-ups”.
Before asking a question on child poverty and the two-child benefit cap, Whittome delivered a pointed rebuke: “Mr Speaker, I wish that the Leader of the Opposition would stop weaponising victims of child sexual exploitation for political points.”
She continued: “It’s damaging victims, and if she cared about child protection she wouldn’t be doing that. It’s a disgrace, you’re a disgrace.”
MPs “yes” and “absolutely” in response to the MP for Nottingham East’s comments to Badenoch.
The Tory Party leader said that safeguarding minister Jess Phillips had admitted there was a cover-up of the child rape gang scandal, and asked if the prime minister thought the cover-up should be exposed.
Starmer highlighted that he oversaw the first grooming gang prosection in 2012 while he was head of the Crown Prosecution Service and director of public prosecutions.
He added: “There is a contrast here because the leader of the opposition when she was minister for children, women and equalities never raised this issue in the house in three years.”
Starmer also criticised the Conservatives for failing to implement a single recommendation from Professor Alexis Jay’s independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation.
He said the shadow home secretary had taken 352 external meetings in the past 20 months, none of which focused on child sexual exploitation — and accused the Tories of doing little for victims during their 14 years in power.
“Where there is evidence of child sexual exploitation, the police should investigate and there should be appropriate prosecutions,” Starmer said. He said that Labour is implementing the Jay inquiry’s recommendations, and will fund local inquiries into child sexual exploitations.
He added: “We are investing more in delivering truth and justice for victims than the party opposite did in 14 long years.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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