Suella Braverman admits Conservatives 'could have done more' to probe grooming gangs amid calls for national inquiry

14 January 2025, 16:48 | Updated: 14 January 2025, 17:49

Suella Braverman admits the Conservatives "could have done more" to investigate grooming gangs while in power, amid calls for national inquiry.

Taking calls from LBC listeners, the former Home Secretary called for the "fast-tracking" of criminal cases involving South Yorkshire grooming gang suspects.

"We could always have done more," she told Tom Swarbrick on Tuesday.

"Could we have done more? Of course we could have done more,” she admitted of the Tory response into grooming gangs.

However, Braverman insisted the lack of national inquiry under the last Tory government was in response to the release of the Jay Report - a report into sexual exploitation of children in Rotherham which saw the Conservatives implement 20 recommendations.

Braverman added she was "proud" of measures implemented by herself and Rishi Sunak following its release.

Read more: Under fire fraud minister Tulip Siddiq resigns amid corruption probe

Read more: Rachel Reeves says UK must go 'further and faster' in search of growth - as Chancellor faces criticism over China visit

Suella Braverman admits 'regrets' over how she dealt with grooming gangs scandal while in government

"This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s currently known,” she added of grooming gangs across South Yorkshire.

Braverman's comments come just hours after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested grooming gangs were made up of "peasants" from "sub-communities".

The Tory leader said on Tuesday that a new inquiry should look at background of perpetrators, as two more Labour MPs said they would back a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham, and Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale - towns at the centre of the grooming gang scandal - backed calls for a national inquiry on Monday.

"I didn't have to do that," Braverman said of visiting victims in Rotherham while in power following the release of the Jay Report.

Hitting back at Labour, she added: "Why isn't the government taking action to galvanise the criminal justice system?"

Suella Braverman explains why the Jay Report's recommendations weren't implemented

"Keir Starmer, for me, is choosing not to do that." she said, labelling it "a failing" on the part of the government.

As for how the government should move forward in light of recent calls for a fresh national enquiry, Braverman said policing held the key.

"We need to be looking at what is happening on the frontline of operational policing.

"How many dedicated and specialist police officers diverted to these cases? How many live investigations have they got on now?

"Why isn't the government taking action to galvanise the criminal justice system - the judiciary, the prosecution, the police - to fast-track some of these cases?

"That's something Keir Starmer could do tomorrow".