Starmer says Louise Casey will be brought in to support grooming gang investigation
Kemi Badenoch It begins with a tribute to the late former Conservative MP Oliver Colvile.
She says her first question comes from Fiona, one of the grooming gang survivors. Fiona asks what’s the point of talking if they’re going to call you a liar.
star Thanks Badenoch for the question. The grooming gang scandal was one of the worst of all time. He says his “promise” to Fiona and others is that this investigation will be different; The survivors will not be ignored. Fiona can rejoin the panel. The investigation will not be diluted, it will focus on grooming the gangs and will cover the ethnic origin of the criminals.
And he says Louise Casey will be brought in to support the investigation.
Key events
Rayner says the stamp duty mistake was “an honestly made mistake” in a personal statement to MPs after his resignation.
Angela RaynerThe former deputy prime minister, is making a personal statement to MPs following her resignation last month.
She says she made a mistake with stamp duty due to trust arrangements relating to her disabled son. She says she hopes the publicity about this will help families in a similar situation who may be facing a similar problem.
She says it was “a mistake made honestly.”
He says the taxes he owes are being paid.
He goes on to talk about his own record in government. She says she knows how important it is for people to be able to have a safe home. The government wants to make this available to the people.
He continues with the responsibility and specifically mentions the Hillsborough bill that is being passed by the government. She says she knows from her experience of the Grenfell Tower tragedy how important it is to hold people in authority to account.
Nigel Farage took up a side gallery for this week’s PMQs, rather than his usual seat alongside other UK reform MPs, claiming he is a “mere spectator”. As PA Media reports, the Clacton MP sat atop the Labor benches with reform supporter Arron Banks.
in a post on social networksFarage said:
Every week at PMQs, the Prime Minister and Labor MPs attack me, but I have no right to reply.
I am just a mere spectator.
So today I decided to watch from the public gallery.
PMQ: quick verdict
Years ago, when I started writing this live blog and writing snap verdicts after PMQs, I tried to consider how the proceedings might appear, not just to MPs in the chamber, but to a non-partisan, impartial and reasonable viewer, that is, to the general public. Even then, that may have been naive. Now at least one of the main participants in the PMQs does not seem to believe that such an audience exists.
That much became clear today as Kemi Badenoch managed to put in what seemed like a pretty solid performance (conservative commentators liked it; see here and herefor example) without really trying to address the arguments at all. Calls for an investigation into grooming gangs took off in the new year (even though prosecutions have been underway for almost two decades, and several reports have explored this in considerable detail) because new reporting (mainly from GB News) revived the feeling that there are grievances and injustices here that have not been fully addressed. It’s a story that flourishes online and attracts people who innately distrust the state. For Badenoch it is a very comfortable territory.
The investigation process is clearly in trouble (see 9.11am), and the survivors who left the oversight panel have clearly lost confidence in the process and it was reasonable for Badenoch to address their concerns. And there was nothing wrong with targeting Jess Phillips either. Phillips is under pressure because of this comment he made in a House of Commons QU about the inquiry.
We are moving forward as quickly as thoroughness allows. Misinformation undermines this process. Accusations of intentional delay, lack of interest, and broadening or diluting the scope of the investigation are false.
Oversight panel survivors like Fiona Gooddard (one of those who resigned) say they were explicitly consulted about whether the scope of the investigation should be expanded. Whether or not that would be a “dilution” of the investigation is debatable, but the government should explain why Phillips said the “expansion” claim was false, unless he meant to say it was false because, while it had been considered, it has now been discarded.
But Badenoch did not question Starmer in detail about these questions. He could have done it, but he didn’t. Instead, he was content to assert his bad faith, over and over again.
And Starmer was trying to address concerns raised by survivors. His opening statement did this, using language similar to that of Shabana Mahmood in today’s Times. He announced a new, unspecified role for Louise Casey, which is always a sign that this government is getting serious. (Maybe combine this with being cabinet secretary; see 9:40am). He also gave a good explanation of why a judge-led inquiry would not be ideal, criticized the Conservatives over mandatory reporting (see 12:14pm) and (rightly) defended Phillips’ record on child protection (see 12:17pm). An “impartial and reasonable viewer” would have concluded that he made a strong case and that Badenoch should have accepted yes for an answer. But God knows if there are any of them still out there.
Harpreet Uppal (Lab) mentions a knife attack in his constituency and asks what the government is doing about it.
star says the government has a strategy to tackle the root causes of knife crime.
Alex Mayer (Lab) says that during the war Churchill changed the clocks to make sure there was more light at night. Will the government try “Churchill Time” again?
star He says he will consider the idea (in the tone of voice that implies he won’t).
Rebecca Smith (Con) asks when the government will implement its promise to reduce business rates. Conservatives would abolish them, he says.
star lists measures the government is already taking to help businesses.
Patrick Hurley (Lab) asks what the government is doing to support youth clubs. He especially mentions the FAB charity.
star praises the FAB charity and says the government’s youth strategy will be published in late autumn.
Simon Hoare (With) ask about the problems you face Jhoots Pharmacies.
star He says customers and staff have been left seriously abandoned. It says officials are currently looking at whether health councils and boards need more powers to go after rogue pharmacies.
Julia Minnes (Lab) is asking about flood defenses in his Carlisle constituency. Does the Prime Minister agree that the climate change skeptical policies of opposition parties are reckless?
star He says the Conservatives left flood defenses in their worst state for years.
star attacks a UK Reform council for discrediting Reform, which he says is a “big deal” for a party whose former Welsh leader has been convicted of taking pro-Russian bribes.
Starmer refuses to rule out further delay in municipal elections due to local government reorganization
Will Forster (Lib Dem) says it has been reported that local elections will be canceled for a second year due to local government reorganisation. Can the Prime Minister rule it out?
star defends the reorganization. He says the timing of the Surrey election will be set soon.
He does not rule out a new delay.
Wendy Morton (Con) asks the PM to define when the gray belt is grey.
star He says he can give an example of a parking lot defined as a green belt. That’s the kind of place where development should take place.
Ellie Chowns (Green) asks if the Prime Minister accepts that inequality, not immigration, is the reason for the low standard of living.
star He says, if the Greens want to tackle inequality, they should vote for Labour’s measures to tackle this issue.
Daniel Francisco (Lab), who represents Bexleyheath and Crayford, says the local Conservative council does not want people to report potholes because they cannot afford to fill them.
star He says it’s “ridiculous.”
Davey welcomes Labor’s acceptance that Brexit has been a “disaster” and calls for a customs union with the EU
Ed DaveyLiberal Democrat leader, asks whether the Prime Minister agrees that the Commons should properly examine the Crown Estate, given the revelations about the Royal Lodge. Would you support a select committee inquiry, with Prince Andrew giving evidence?
star says he is in favor of proper scrutiny.
davy says Labor MPs are relieved they can finally call Brexit a disaster. But this should not just be a way of attacking Nigel Farage, “as much as he deserves it.” Will the Prime Minister repair the damage by negotiating a customs union with the EU?
star reject that idea.
