Labour is taking decisive action to protect children

Protecting girls from grooming gangs is an issue of the upmost importance. Our primary responsibility is to ensure that perpetrators of these heinous crimes are held fully accountable, to prevent further harm and support to survivors. Labour’s Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips, has made it crystal clear: Nothing is off the table when it comes to tackling paedophiles, their networks - whether online or in real life - and their disgusting grooming tactics.

You’ll have seen lots of misinformation swirling around, particularly online, following the vote in Parliament a week ago, where the Conservatives issued an amendment to the safety bill which would have wrecked the child safety measures that formed part of the bill.

The victims of child sexual exploitation are being completely ignored in this shameless politicisation of the issue. Wrecking ball amendments such as this one are not about standing up for children and safeguarding their futures.

The last Independent National Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse completed its final report in 2022. It took 7 years, 7,000 personal testimonies, and considered 2 million pages of evidence. It recorded devastating accounts of brutal rapes, sexual violence, humiliation, trauma, and the betrayal of vulnerable children by those charged with protecting them and people in positions of power who shamefully put the reputation of institutions before the protection of children.

It is now time that we put these measures forward to keep our children safe.

Last week, Secretary of State, Yvette Cooper MP, set out the actions this government is taking forward to tackle the terrible crimes of child sexual exploitation and abuse – including mandatory reporting, a new victims and survivors panel, an overhaul of data and police performance requirements, tougher sentences for perpetrators, and support for local inquiries including in Oldham.

Before Easter, the government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the 20 recommendations from the final IICA [Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse] report.

What victims want is exactly what Labour is doing: implementing the recommendations of the previous Inquiry. A new national inquiry would take several years and would delay action on the issue even further.

Labour is taking swift, decisive action. This Bill is about protecting children long-term, and we’re committed to implementing those critical recommendations the previous government ignored, which has let abusers off the hook and serves no justice to its victims.

I have a track record of calling out all violence against women and girls - I will continue to do this - in all its forms, as the Member of Parliament for Leigh and Atherton.

If you are a constituent in need of assistance, or you have been affected by the issues raised in this column please don’t hesitate to contact my office at [email protected].