Gransnet forums

Chat

Labour has come under fire after refusing to hold a public inquiry into historic sexual abuse by grooming gangs in Oldham.

(566 Posts)
FriedGreenTomatoes2 Thu 02-Jan-25 13:35:45

Scandalous I think.
I’m with Elon Musk on this re his comments to Jess Phillips.

Elon Musk attacked the decision as “disgraceful” and Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said a full national inquiry into rape gangs was “long overdue”.

Jess Phillips, Labour’s safeguarding minister, insisted it was “for Oldham council alone”.

Really Jess?

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Wed 08-Jan-25 12:40:21

Read my posts.
I find no favour with Tories or Labour on this issue.

Response from both parties has been abysmal.
Over 50 towns and cities involved. And it’s still going on.

Claremont Wed 08-Jan-25 12:17:20

Yes, it is, quite simply.

The irony and hypocrisy of it all is staggering.

People who have done nothing at all, called the money spent on investigating 'spaffing it up the wall', and those who have done absolutely NOTHING at all to implement the 20 clear recommendations- now turning against those who did listen, did DO a lot to support those women, like Jess Phillips and others - all of a sudden. And never uttered a word or lifted a finger, when Tories were in charge. They called those who did help 'left wing feminists and woke' and now? Mind blowing.

PoliticsNerd Wed 08-Jan-25 12:05:14

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Well I for one thank Elon Musk for shining a light on all this murky business.

There’s been more talk on this shocking state of affairs in the last 10 days than there has been in the last 10 years.

Not before time.

It’s been pretty much ignored. The Tories pretty much did sod all and Labour are tripping over themselves NOW to look proactive. We are not fooled. Without Elon’s intervention this topic would not be under discussion.

So you think it's fair and right to call someone who seeks to corrupt our democracy the 'good guy', simply because they shift the blame for others' crimes onto someone who has been dedicated to pursuing truth and justice for the victims?

Isn't that immoral?

Iam64 Wed 08-Jan-25 11:58:15

I don’t thank Elon Musk for anything. He doesn’t give a fig about safeguarding, he’s a narcissistic self publicist who has a loathing of what he calls socialism.
I’m always relieved when child sexual abuse is the subject of media and public attention. TV programmes like Three Girls and the noise made by Maggie Oliver, Jess Phillips and many others has at last attracted public attention.
I’m so familiar with the discussions on gransnet and the media that sought to put blame on girls in the Epstein and other organised sexual abuse gangs. ‘Where were their parents’ ‘if it was so awful why did the return’ etc etc

Child sexual abuse is endemic. We don’t need another inquiry to tell us that. We need to Jay report recommendation implemented. I’m not shouting against the calls for further inquiry but victim groups, senior workers are asking wouldnt ut ge better to put the money into implementing existing recommendations
And by the way - some good child protection police and social work teams were disbanded because the previous government introduced unnecessary austerity.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Wed 08-Jan-25 11:48:13

Oh give over Claremont. If the powers that be haven’t listened to the likes of Maggie Oliver what chance a few grandmas getting up a petition? Jeez.

Jeanathome Wed 08-Jan-25 11:45:38

Luckily a number of us are indeed not fooled.

Elon? Really?

Claremont Wed 08-Jan-25 11:45:32

Why didn't you start a petition, go and speak to your MP, start a campaign in the Press- ask Tories to implement the 20 clear recommendations made by the enquiry?

Why are you, and others, only interested now, by strange coincidence (well not so strange at all).

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Wed 08-Jan-25 11:42:38

Well I for one thank Elon Musk for shining a light on all this murky business.

There’s been more talk on this shocking state of affairs in the last 10 days than there has been in the last 10 years.

Not before time.

It’s been pretty much ignored. The Tories pretty much did sod all and Labour are tripping over themselves NOW to look proactive. We are not fooled. Without Elon’s intervention this topic would not be under discussion.

PoliticsNerd Wed 08-Jan-25 11:40:01

Musk envisions a form of extreme capitalism, where society caters solely to the wealthy, reducing the general population to mere cogs in a machine devoid of human or workers' rights. Naturally, he, along with Trump, would prefer a compliant figurehead in power, undermining our democracy.

Consequently, he is willing to resort to deception or any means necessary to destabilize a government that upholds human and workers' rights.

He is not challenging crime. He doesnt care. If we had a far right government he would support and encourage them whatever they said or did. He is trying to change our way of life to suit his purposes and some are being led by the nose.

Jeanathome Wed 08-Jan-25 11:37:50

Oreo

The main culture in the grooming gangs were men from a predominantly Pakistani heritage background Jeanathome which is now so well known that you must already know that.It was in the official investigation report.

Since we have had an asylum seeker, the Sharif case , the (so called ) grooming gangs and the Southport murders lumped together, it is not clear at all.
We don't link other crimes together in this fashion.

Primrose53 Wed 08-Jan-25 11:35:06

Wyllow3

Primrose you have missed a reference I posted upthread. The Muslim Council of Britain has spoken up very strongly

mcb.org.uk/mcb-we-need-truth-and-action-against-child-sexual-abuse-gangs-not-a-racist-witch-hunt/

The current Secretary General of the council is a woman, Zara Mohammed

who graduated with an LLM in Human Rights Law from the University of Strathclyde and is based in Glasgow. She was elected as the youngest and first female Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain in January 2021.

Just read it. I was expecting a full statement from Muslim women not a few words from one woman. She is calling these youngsters who were drugged, raped, impregnated and murdered, “targets” and claiming some of them were non-white and some were Muslim. They went after vulnerable white kids often in care because they consider them to be “white trash”.

That’s not what I have been reading for years nor what Maggie Oliver who has worked tirelessly to keep this in the public domain has always insisted.

Louella12 Wed 08-Jan-25 11:24:15

Mollygo

Jess Phillips does not rule out new national inquiry into grooming gangs, just popped up on my screen.

I've just seen that clip. She said nothing is off the table and she'll listen to what the victims say.

Mollygo Wed 08-Jan-25 11:22:04

Jess Phillips does not rule out new national inquiry into grooming gangs, just popped up on my screen.

Maremia Wed 08-Jan-25 11:21:03

Meanwhile, as reported this morning, there is an education bill trying to make its way through Parliament, with elements of child protection, but the Tories have proposed an ammendment which could scupper it. Anyone standing with them on this?

Wyllow3 Wed 08-Jan-25 10:49:55

Luckygirl3

I think Labour are right to use the existing enquiries to move things forward rather than causing further delay by more enquiries. The potential victims need action now.

Not just the action but the resources that another huge and unnecessary inquiry would take.

Wyllow3 Wed 08-Jan-25 10:48:37

It has been playing into the racist playbook. We now have Jenrick feeling free to make borderline public Islamophobic statements.

When we talk about this request for further inquiries being "political", in another sense,
I feel we have to consider that Musk and co and those demanding an inquiry are deliberately using the demands to demonise a whole group of people under the guise of "justice".

Luckygirl3 Wed 08-Jan-25 10:46:15

I think Labour are right to use the existing enquiries to move things forward rather than causing further delay by more enquiries. The potential victims need action now.

foxie48 Wed 08-Jan-25 10:36:30

When the Cornish grooming gang was exposed and sentenced, did anyone say it was about the culture of the men? When the paedophile rings of the 70's and 80's were exposed, did anyone ask about the culture of these men? No, of course they didn't, they were recognised for what they were/are ie vile deviant men so why do people try to use culture or religion in other cases? Probably because it plays into the racist playbook.

Wyllow3 Wed 08-Jan-25 10:18:38

The point of Jeanathome's post I thought was "dont tar all with he same brush" which is also raised of course in the report I have just referenced.

Oreo Wed 08-Jan-25 10:08:49

The main culture in the grooming gangs were men from a predominantly Pakistani heritage background Jeanathome which is now so well known that you must already know that.It was in the official investigation report.

Wyllow3 Wed 08-Jan-25 10:08:15

Primrose you have missed a reference I posted upthread. The Muslim Council of Britain has spoken up very strongly

mcb.org.uk/mcb-we-need-truth-and-action-against-child-sexual-abuse-gangs-not-a-racist-witch-hunt/

The current Secretary General of the council is a woman, Zara Mohammed

who graduated with an LLM in Human Rights Law from the University of Strathclyde and is based in Glasgow. She was elected as the youngest and first female Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain in January 2021.

Primrose53 Wed 08-Jan-25 09:28:37

Jeanathome

pinkquartz

my point is not about individuals but the underlying culture going unchallenged. the recent terrible death and torture of a vulnerable child by her fatherwho actually said he believed he was entitled to punish her because she was naughty,
it is the immensely bad attitude to girls and women that we need to challenge.

Which culture is this please? Do you ever see professional Muslim women going about their daily business?

Sorry to have to point this out but "they" are not all the same.

I would like to know why these professional Muslim women in this country are not banding together and speaking out against the horrific crimes of their men. They are presumably well educated and used to public speaking so why is the silence from them so deafening?

Jeanathome Wed 08-Jan-25 08:32:03

pinkquartz

my point is not about individuals but the underlying culture going unchallenged. the recent terrible death and torture of a vulnerable child by her fatherwho actually said he believed he was entitled to punish her because she was naughty,
it is the immensely bad attitude to girls and women that we need to challenge.

Which culture is this please? Do you ever see professional Muslim women going about their daily business?

Sorry to have to point this out but "they" are not all the same.

Iam64 Wed 08-Jan-25 08:12:43

That’s the key point here Wyllow3, the violence and sexual abuse by men, that women and children are subjected to - most often within their own home
In saying this I’m not avoiding acknowledging the organised abuse gangs under discussion

Wyllow3 Wed 08-Jan-25 01:00:44

Yes, attitudes to women and girls have a long way to go in our society. The sheer numbers of domestic incidents by men against women tells the story clearly.