Labour rejects calls for Oldham grooming gang inquiry

https://x.com/robbiemoore/status/1880657336668139803?s=46&t=WHoOZZ_3Kv5G6-FyQuvE0LQ

https://x.com/recusantraja/status/1880397887793766893?s=46&t=WHoOZZ_3Kv5G6-FyQuvE0LQ

Well if I was Minister of State Jim McMahon, I'd be straight on to m'learned friends for a libel case against these disgraceful calumnies. Unless, of course, there's truth in what Raja Miah says.

And Andy Burnham comes out only a little better. Things are hotting up, it seems.

It does.

The scenario of politicians cosying up to 'community leaders' and giving grants and turning a blind eye to crimes for block votes, that getting out of hand and turning into blackmail makes more sense to me then any other.

Some straight talking at last! If the likes of Stewart and Campbell think they are helping to maintain racial and social cohesion, they are surely kidding themselves; they are doing the reverse.

Igood article in The Critic. Alastair Campbell & Rory Stewart should be ashamed … https://thecritic.co.uk/ignore-the-grooming-gangs-deniers/

The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry is an independent public statutory Inquiry and we've a good sample of what it's like when people testify although they can be compelled to attend, to produce documents, and to give evidence on oath.
https://www.postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk/frequently-asked-questions
The current Thirlwall Inquiry has compelled attendance of very senior NHS figures. They've had to put an enormous amount of effort into collating decades of enquiries, and the many thousands of recommendations, and rationalise them into what is now anachronistic, those that have been implemented, those that haven't been, and those that are relevant.
https://thirlwall.public-inquiry.uk/
https://thirlwall.public-inquiry.uk/help-and-information/faqs/

Both of these are examples of statutory inquiries (from Thirlwall FAQ).

• Statutory public inquiries run according to the rules in the Inquiries Act 2005 and Inquiry Rules 2006.
• Inquiries are always established by a Government minister but, once established, are independent of Government. Inquiries must be fearless in looking for the truth and make findings of fact. If appropriate these will include identifying those at fault; however, the law does not allow an Inquiry to make findings of criminal or civil liability.
• Inquiries always have a chair, often a judge, appointed by the minister.
• Any person or organisation can be made to produce relevant documents. It is a criminal offence to intentionally withhold a document required by the Inquiry or deliberately to obstruct its work. Inquiries enable people with a particular interest to be Core Participants. They have certain rights.
• All relevant evidence will be shared in advance of hearings with Core Participants.
• Core Participants can suggest lines of questioning they wish to be pursued by the Inquiry.
• Inquiries hold hearings and any person or relevant organisation can be called as a witness to give evidence.
• Witnesses can be asked questions by Counsel to the Inquiry or by legal representatives of Core Participants (with the Chair’s permission).
• Inquiries are public. In general, the Chair must take reasonable steps to ensure that the public can watch hearings and view the record of evidence. The Chair must not depart from that rule unless there is very good reason.
• Inquiries must produce a written report with their findings and recommendations. Under the Act, this must be made public.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that a government backed statutory local inquiry has the power to compel people to co-operate. Sarah Champion alludes to it in the BBC article up the page:

'Champion pressed the home secretary on whether the inquires would be able to summon witnesses to give evidence.
"What we need to do is make sure there have been no cover-ups, and it's only if it's on a statutory footing that we can do that," she said.
(My bold)

Cooper avoids giving a straight answer and waffles on about 'different approaches' but at least Champion's question is now on the record.

I'm going to choose to stay positive (until I'm given reason not to be).

Andrew golds interview with Raja Miah highlights the political involvement.

Is there not also the consideration that local councils, whose officers ( elected and unelected) may have had some involvement, might not be people to front an enquiry?

I read the minutes of the Oldham council meeting where they voted for a local inquiry.

There seem to be two votes - if I'm remembering right, one from some independent council group for a "voice for victims" inquiry and one from the Lib Dems for an inquiry explicitly into the behaviour of police and council workers. The second one got voted down...

Isn't it the case that - inexplicably - police officers and other public servants can just refuse to cooperate with local enquiries but are compelled by law to do so in national ones?

So they're going to get a free pass again for the harm to those girls?

Comme d’habitude 🙄

I have grown to really dislike Khan as an inveterate pusher of divisive IDPol.

He starts to get shut down when he says the girl was raped a thousand times.
Surely she's not objecting to a description of the actual crime?

Yet, I wouldn't be too startled if the woman in question would also consider it empowering and wholly appropriate for whichever Only Fans woman it is who plans to have sex with 1000 men within a very short timeframe. I wonder if she might argue that it's fine for that to be in newspapers and normalised in extraordinary detail as something that young people might consider if they wish to make substantial sums of money to set them up for life and notoriety.

What better way to hide in plain sight these days than go on GB news

I worry that real politics has often become weirder than parody but I’m glad some people are making an effort to mock political happenings:

I recall that horrendous misogyny from Wales guy when he was leader

They really have drunk the Kool aid and will stop at nothing to discredit or shout down those sticking up for women or girls

It would have been better simply to have implemented the most effective inquiry arrangements rather than prioritise Labour extricating themselves from the corner they've painted themselves in to.

If these end up being a whitewash because of local interests it will be the government that gets blamed.