For months, calls for a full national inquiry into grooming gangs had gone unanswered.
Survivors, campaigners, and even opposition leaders had demanded it.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer had consistently held off—until now.
In a major shift, the Prime Minister has announced that a statutory national inquiry will go ahead, following the damning findings in a review led by Baroness Louise Casey.
A Change of Heart After Reading the Full Report
Starmer says he made the decision after reading “every single word” of Lady Casey’s audit, which is set to be released next week.
The report reportedly lays out disturbing details about the widespread sexual exploitation of young girls—many of whom were white and British—and the alleged role of men of Pakistani heritage.
According to sources, the review will also highlight how racial and cultural sensitivities prevented authorities from acting, leaving victims unheard and unsupported for years.
Initially skeptical, Casey herself is said to have changed her position during the process.
Starmer has now thrown his full support behind her final recommendation: launch a national inquiry, and do it properly.
“It’s the Right Thing to Do,” Starmer Says
Speaking from Ottawa, Starmer told reporters that while he had long supported implementing recommendations from previous reviews, the findings in this new audit demanded more.
“Lady Casey started this audit without thinking another national inquiry was necessary,” Starmer said.
“But after seeing what she’s seen, she changed her mind.
And after reading it myself, I agree. It’s the right thing to do.”
He added that the upcoming inquiry will be statutory under the Inquiries Act, which means it will carry legal weight and the power to compel witnesses and evidence.
However, he admitted that setting it up will take time, and more details will follow.
Accusations of Delays and Political Hesitation
But not everyone is giving Starmer credit for the U-turn.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wasted no time criticising the Prime Minister, accusing him of dragging his feet for months and only acting after a report forced his hand.
“Keir Starmer doesn’t know what he thinks unless an official report tells him,” she said.
“This decision is right, but it’s come six months too late.”
Badenoch also warned that justice for the victims must come quickly: “Survivors need closure now—not in 10 years. Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Survivors Demand More Than Promises
Since 2010, dozens of grooming gang trials have shocked the nation, with harrowing cases in towns like Rotherham, Telford, and Rochdale.
While inquiries into those specific cases have taken place, campaigners have continued to demand a national, unified investigation that looks at the full picture—including how police, social workers, and local officials may have failed to protect vulnerable children.
Lady Casey’s audit is just the latest in a long line of reviews, but its findings seem to have struck a nerve at the top.
Tech Tycoons, MPs, and Public Pressure Sparked a Tipping Point
The campaign for a national inquiry had been building steadily over the past year.
Even tech billionaire Elon Musk waded into the debate, using his platform to question the government’s reluctance to act.
In January, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a wave of new local investigations and commissioned Lady Casey to conduct an audit.
Still, the growing chorus of voices—including former MP Rupert Lowe, who threatened to run his own investigation—kept the pressure on.
At one point, Badenoch accused the PM in Parliament of delaying action to avoid uncovering Labour-era failings.
What Comes Next?
The government hasn’t provided a timeline yet for when the new inquiry will begin, but Starmer has promised it will happen and will be fully statutory.
What’s clear is that this won’t be a quick process.
If it follows the path of previous inquiries—like the Jay Report, which took seven years—the final results might not emerge until 2031.
But for the thousands of survivors who’ve waited for acknowledgment, accountability, and change, this new inquiry is at least a start—even if it’s been a long time coming.