Grooming gangs in London

It seems that being or appearing racist is the worst thing anyone can be these days. Yes it's awful but fear of being accused of it really has gone too far.

growstuff

petra

growstuff

petra

If you have the time listen to the wonderful brave Times Reporter who got the story out nationally.
Andrew Norton.
And that started with a phone call from another wonderful brave woman: Anne Cryer.
I don’t use the word brave lightly.
If people like Maggie Oliver have to have protection and Nazir Hafzel have had their and their families lives threatened you are a brave man and woman to take on this evil.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026ncy

Unfortunately, I don't subscribe the Times. Thanks for the link - I'll listen to it.

growstuff
It’s not a link to The Times, it’s a link to BBC sounds. It says that in the link.

I realised that. I didn't think it was a ink to the Times. They were two separate statements.

Apologies.
Reading too much and not giving my full attention.

Is someone having a fucking laugh 🤬

I have thought for ages now, that there are groups of people who are.

I dont know who they are.

I dont know if there are large groups of people, either in the Uk, or elsewhere, or both, who are doing just that.

Lathyrus3

We can make them accountable for their abuse and not make excuses or avoid pursuing them because of who they are or whatever powerful contacts they may be able to access.

This is too serious to be turned into a political football. Shame on all those who have tried to turn it into one. What is their motivation?

Every decent person should be united in righting this wrong, both for past victims and for the future.

They’ve been kicking that football down the road for decades and nobody’s bothered to pick it up.
The same thing will happen this time.
Throw the hoi polloi some crumbs. They’ll soon forget.
Right now they are scrambling around trying to find a dead cat.

A couple of people have asked how did it get to this.
Many years ago it was rumoured that it was because of the Asian vote. All these towns mentioned were huge Labour voting constituencies.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Badenoch is calling for Jess Phillips to be sacked but Starmer is standing by her.

He stands by everyone.
I would say literally.

Until it blows up.

I’m not claiming anything, yes it’s just speculation but not impossible as we can agree on.

I think the most extremely infuriating thing about the grooming gangs inquiry is that not only is it going to be a cover up, but that everybody has always known it is going to be a cover up, and even when people have quite frankly said, very publicly "this is absolutely not going to be a cover up", it is still going to be a cover up.

Labour will be getting the boot at the next election, and rightly so.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

growstuff

FriedGreenTomatoes2

5 months on and nothing progress yet.
Cynics are starting to say it’s kicking the can down the road until after the May elections - as these allegedly complicit councils are Labour run.

Sorry, I'd rather they got it right from the start rather than rush through and keep having to stop if people resign or don't agree with the terms of the enquiry. I don't think five months is excessive, given how long it's been since the grim details were uncovered.

I think 5 months IS excessive with no progress.
We will have to agree to disagree.

Have you ever been involved in setting up a national enquiry?

petra

growstuff

petra

If you have the time listen to the wonderful brave Times Reporter who got the story out nationally.
Andrew Norton.
And that started with a phone call from another wonderful brave woman: Anne Cryer.
I don’t use the word brave lightly.
If people like Maggie Oliver have to have protection and Nazir Hafzel have had their and their families lives threatened you are a brave man and woman to take on this evil.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026ncy

Unfortunately, I don't subscribe the Times. Thanks for the link - I'll listen to it.

growstuff
It’s not a link to The Times, it’s a link to BBC sounds. It says that in the link.

I realised that. I didn't think it was a ink to the Times. They were two separate statements.

Oreo

Rosie51

Excellent post TerriBull

Jess Phillips gives the impression of being more concerned with hanging on to her position than with addressing the climate that allowed what was done to these survivors.

Agree,
Jess Phillips is an MP in a Birmingham ward and am wondering if she’s been leant on there by councillors and business leaders and others who resent any focus on Pakistani heritage men being under scrutiny?
If she was an MP in Hampshire or Surrey would things be different?

No, I don't think they would. Jess Phillips has a record of standing up against Pakistani bullies. I'd be surprised if she's been leant on (but it's not impossible). What you're claiming is speculation.

But in any case the survivors need to be listened to, they have no faith in ex police or ex social services people.The Chair needs to be totally impartial.

growstuff

petra

If you have the time listen to the wonderful brave Times Reporter who got the story out nationally.
Andrew Norton.
And that started with a phone call from another wonderful brave woman: Anne Cryer.
I don’t use the word brave lightly.
If people like Maggie Oliver have to have protection and Nazir Hafzel have had their and their families lives threatened you are a brave man and woman to take on this evil.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026ncy

Unfortunately, I don't subscribe the Times. Thanks for the link - I'll listen to it.

growstuff
It’s not a link to The Times, it’s a link to BBC sounds. It says that in the link.

growstuff

FriedGreenTomatoes2

5 months on and nothing progress yet.
Cynics are starting to say it’s kicking the can down the road until after the May elections - as these allegedly complicit councils are Labour run.

Sorry, I'd rather they got it right from the start rather than rush through and keep having to stop if people resign or don't agree with the terms of the enquiry. I don't think five months is excessive, given how long it's been since the grim details were uncovered.

I think 5 months IS excessive with no progress.
We will have to agree to disagree.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Badenoch is calling for Jess Phillips to be sacked but Starmer is standing by her.

Yes, well, that's no surprise.

I think this is going to blow up in Starmer’s face to be honest.

Rosie51

Excellent post TerriBull

Jess Phillips gives the impression of being more concerned with hanging on to her position than with addressing the climate that allowed what was done to these survivors.

Agree,
Jess Phillips is an MP in a Birmingham ward and am wondering if she’s been leant on there by councillors and business leaders and others who resent any focus on Pakistani heritage men being under scrutiny?
If she was an MP in Hampshire or Surrey would things be different?

FriedGreenTomatoes2

5 months on and nothing progress yet.
Cynics are starting to say it’s kicking the can down the road until after the May elections - as these allegedly complicit councils are Labour run.

Sorry, I'd rather they got it right from the start rather than rush through and keep having to stop if people resign or don't agree with the terms of the enquiry. I don't think five months is excessive, given how long it's been since the grim details were uncovered.

Badenoch is calling for Jess Phillips to be sacked but Starmer is standing by her.

growstuff

TerriBull

Domestic abuse will be present in most demographics. I think this sort of digression, as serious as that is, is indicative of the wider issues that the witnesses were expected to embrace, deflecting from their experiences. It's almost, inspite of everything that's been uncovered we are no further forward because there's a definite rationale of " can we skirt round these uncomfortable truths and make it much more general" It was specific and trying to pretend otherwise is a dishonest omission.

I confess that I haven't been following the details that closely. I know that Baroness Casey wanted an enquiry to be set up with a focus on the gangs.

Who has suggested that the enquiry has a wider remit.

FWIW I think it's good that the scope of the enquiry is being discussed before it's started, but I do understand that something serious is going wrong for so many of the panel to resign. Who has told them what?

growstuff
Did you listen to the woman’s hour These girls were given gagging orders to sign pre the enquiry stating.
And who on gods earth thought it was a good idea for a police officer and a social worker to lead the panel.
The 2 bodies that have let these girls down for decades.
Is someone having a fucking laugh 🤬

petra

If you have the time listen to the wonderful brave Times Reporter who got the story out nationally.
Andrew Norton.
And that started with a phone call from another wonderful brave woman: Anne Cryer.
I don’t use the word brave lightly.
If people like Maggie Oliver have to have protection and Nazir Hafzel have had their and their families lives threatened you are a brave man and woman to take on this evil.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026ncy

Unfortunately, I don't subscribe the Times. Thanks for the link - I'll listen to it.

5 months on and nothing progress yet.
Cynics are starting to say it’s kicking the can down the road until after the May elections - as these allegedly complicit councils are Labour run.

I despair, I really do. The grooming gangs were able to operate with impunity because of massive, systematic failure of the police, social services, local councils, and health workers, and more. So - To propose the Chair of the inquiry to be either a social worker or police officer beggars belief.

It should be a judge otherwise it’s professionals marking their own homework. It stinks.

If you have the time listen to the wonderful brave Times Reporter who got the story out nationally.
Andrew Norton.
And that started with a phone call from another wonderful brave woman: Anne Cryer.
I don’t use the word brave lightly.
If people like Maggie Oliver have to have protection and Nazir Hafzel have had their and their families lives threatened you are a brave man and woman to take on this evil.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026ncy

TerriBull

Domestic abuse will be present in most demographics. I think this sort of digression, as serious as that is, is indicative of the wider issues that the witnesses were expected to embrace, deflecting from their experiences. It's almost, inspite of everything that's been uncovered we are no further forward because there's a definite rationale of " can we skirt round these uncomfortable truths and make it much more general" It was specific and trying to pretend otherwise is a dishonest omission.

I confess that I haven't been following the details that closely. I know that Baroness Casey wanted an enquiry to be set up with a focus on the gangs.

Who has suggested that the enquiry has a wider remit.

FWIW I think it's good that the scope of the enquiry is being discussed before it's started, but I do understand that something serious is going wrong for so many of the panel to resign. Who has told them what?

Thanks for explaining petra. It's horrendous.