MP with "credible claim" of harassment against him wants to set up his own public inquiry into "Rape Gangs"

[IwantToRetire]

So this is the MP - is he still Reform or has he been expelled?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdel8xydx80o

Quote:

Structure of the Inquiry:

• A qualified panel will be appointed to oversee the inquiry.
• A legal advisory team will support the panel throughout the inquiry.

The inquiry will take place in three defined stages: Stage 1 – Launch & Evidence Collection

• Official launch of the inquiry with a call for written evidence.
• A secure submission process will be set up with a clear deadline for all submissions.

Stage 2 – Public Hearings

• A multiple day live-streamed hearing period.
• Hearings will be closed to the public (for safety and control) but broadcast online to ensure transparency.
• Panel-led questioning of witnesses; in cases of non-attendance, questions will still be put on record.
• Witness protection and safeguarding will be prioritised.

Stage 3 – Report & Publication

• A closed period for the panel to compile findings and draft the report.
• Pre-set publication date for the final report.
• Follow-up Q&A session led by Rupert and the panel to publicly respond to the findings.

Core Inquiry Questions To maintain focus and deliver actionable conclusions, the inquiry will centre around three key questions:

• What happened?
• How did it happen?
• Why was it allowed to happen?

Witnesses/participants
Victims and Survivors

• Individuals affected by grooming gangs who are willing to share their experiences.
• Survivors will be given the option to testify anonymously or via written/video statement to ensure their safety and comfort.

Whistleblowers and Frontline Professionals

• Police officers, social workers, and council employees who raised concerns or witnessed systemic failings.
• Former professionals who left their positions in protest or disillusionment.

There's quite a lot more detail, and if you search for Rape Gang Inquiry and name of the MP you should probably find it.

I couldn't find any info about what status the inquiry would have, and even if it functions well what the objective is.

And more importantly, if it is effectively just a private project, how safe and supported would vulnerable witnesses be?

Is it just agit prop rable rousing, or could it lead to ... what?

He's a divisive far right shill, desperately stirring up trouble to distract from the accusations.

When will people learn, these types are not friends of feminism.

It’s agit prop rebel rousing - he’s a shit stirrer, and will be using a terrible situation for his own ends. I don’t believe he has the expertise to run an enquiry where there are so many vulnerable witnesses. He would just use them as fodder and support for his own political position.

If he's as successful with this inquiry as he was running Southampton FC, it's not going anywhere.

The bullying and harassment stuff speaks to Lowe's character, but the political side concerns me more. I know Nigel Farage is not a popular man in these parts, but hear me out.

Back in the early days of UKIP, when it was just trying to find its feet, there was a noisy minority who wanted an alliance with the BNP. Farage defeated and expelled them. To this day he boasts quite sincerely that he's the man who killed the BNP, by giving alienated voters something non-fascist to vote for.

Later on he had similar trouble with people who wanted to hook up with Tommy Robinson and be a niche anti-Islam party. After the referendum when he resigned the leadership, they took over. You only have to look at the currently existing rump UKIP to see how successful that has been.

Lowe has some very similar people surrounding him, actually some of the very same people, which is probably part of why Farage wanted to get rid of him. Most of the anti-Farage people in that world seem to gravitate towards Tommyism. I predict Lowe will end up in the same place, and his inquiry needs to be seen as part of that.

Just my usual disclaimer here - left wingers looking for someone prominent on the left to speak up on rape gangs will be waiting a very long time. Even Julie Bindel feels that she has to put in disclaimers about how terrible it is that right wingers talk about the issue. I'm not saying that doesn't discourage people from speaking up, I just think there are lots of nice respectable centre-left people in Britain who would have been quite capable of turning a blind eye even if Tommy Robinson or Nick Griffin never existed.

This is really silly.

Nobody is saying he is a friend of feminism.

It gets so boring that it dumbs down to that.

The problem is, which if you read more about it, is that he has raised a huge amount of money, and because of how MSM reports on the issue has lots of people, including women thinking this is the only way forward.

So doesn't help to just say it wont be feminist.

If all the campaiging that feminist groups do, let alone the support work for women who are victims of men's violence and exploitation cant get anything done, this is when rabble rousers step in and start getting support and credence.

I suspect it will be bungled because all these so called business men who think they can do thinks better eg Trump Farage, always make a mess and sadly too often get bailed out.

But in this instance it would be grotesque if women and girls looking for some sort of voice, recognition of why they have suffered end up being further exploited for one man's ego and political career.

The Telegrapph has given him a puff piece.

https://archive.is/hwsuT

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2xey4m2ygo

There are really dodgy types in that party.

I know Rupert Lowe, he is none of the offensive things you are screaming about.

‘To distract from the accusations’….couldn’t be pot calling kettle , could it?

Do you know the Oxford candidate too?

Rupert Lowe’s Rape Gang Inquiry Raises £570,000 making it largest political crowdfunder in British history
https://conservativepost.co.uk/rupert-lowes-rape-gang-inquiry-raises-570000-making-it-largest-political-crowdfunder-in-british-history/

Seems that the half million raised isn't being used very well!

Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe’s grooming gang inquiry branded ‘an utter shambles’ by ‘dropped’ member
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rupert-lowe-rape-gang-inquiry-panel-member-dropped-b1243764.html

Well there's a shocker!

In all seriousness, it underlines what I've been hearing from Reform circles. That he was never a team player, always going off on tangents of his own, and since he's got a large X following (thanks Elon) he's come to believe his own hype.

They all seem relieved to have got rid of him, and amused at the prospect of him redefecting to the Tories if his mate Jenrick becomes leader.

But at least Jolyon has a competitor for big crowdfunders that degenerate into a shambles.

Well there's a shocker!

I think what is sad is that some women who have been campaigning for years and felt the political class was not really wanting to do anything, thought that this might be sucessful process.

There will never be anyone who will be good enough to initiate any inquiry about the rape gangs and any cover ups, simply because anyone acceptable to the left will never do it.

This is seriously silly comment. What's it got to do with the left.

Some of the women who have been involved in exposing the issue for years were open to working with this man.

But due to his incompetence, or more likely just seeing it as a propoganda tool, have given up.

Did you read the article?

Have to admit on one level I thought it good that Reform managed to take control of some councils.

Because in the end if they cant manage a council they cant manage a country.

For those who cant be bothered to read the article:

It comes just a week after the founder of the Survivors’ Archive research project, Donna Edmunds, claimed she had been dropped as a panel member from the inquiry without being told and branded the probe as “an utter shambles”. On X she said the inquiry team “had no idea what they were doing” and had “dumped the whole thing” on campaigner Sammy Woodhouse, a survivor of the Rotherham grooming scandal.

Sammy Woodhouse has been a leading campaigner.

This is seriously silly comment. What's it got to do with the left.

Isnt that the what everyone says here, that feminism is left wing?

And we have a left wing government.

No inquiry can get off the ground without the political will, and that isnt there.

Not being rude, but feel you cant have been on FWR very long, as most on this board are no aligned. If you remember the discusions at the time of the election.

And even if they were left wing as feminists, the priority is to get the best outcome for women and girls who have been abused and if that means an independently funded one, not which male political grouping is saying what they will do.

The problem here is that it would seem the person concerned having got a lot of publicity out of it isn't bother about actually carrying out the work.

The problem is there have been any number of inquiries, everyone knows it is wrong, but no one is actually going to do anyting to stop it.

Because in the end it is about telling men to stop exploiting and abusing women.

Just look at the number of police men who have been accused and found guilty of violence against women.

Name one inquirey on any issue that has done any good.

This vague outline looks like it was written by AI and could apply to literally any public inquiry. Just crap to make it sound official to people who have no idea.

We already had a VERY detailed and expensive child abuse inquiry which reported recently (to less press interest it seems because it wasn't a vehicle for racist dogwhistles) and the recommendations of which are still yet to be fully implemented.

The Post Office inquiry?

What? There have been multiple inquiries looking at grooming gangs. IICSA is a general one but there have been specific inquiries too eg https://www.telford.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/safeguarding-children/child-sexual-exploitation-cse/independent-inquiry-into-telford-child-sexual-exploitation-iitcse/

Sammy Woodhouse does seem to still be actively involved

Our Rape Gang Inquiry has today released research identifying 85 local authorities where gang-based child sexual exploitation is taking place—or has taken place. There are many more locations still to add as I’m sure you will be aware. There is no doubt in my mind that this is happening in every authority across the UK.

https://x.com/officialsammyuk/status/1960366052904210929

Although her twitter feed does seem to suggest she has political alliances, so it isn't maybe about noe inquiry will be good enough for the "left" but equally no inquiry will be good enough for the right.

What? There have been multiple inquiries looking at grooming gangs.

And the people who covered them up for years have been named and prosecuted?

The police officers, social workers, care home workers, any politician who turned a blind eye for political reasons?

Who decided to destroy evidence maggie oliver was working on in Mancester?

We've looked at the motivations behind it and ensured its never going to happen again?