Jess Phillips’ decision to reject a national inquiry into grooming gangs has rightly sparked fury. Few issues cut to the heart of public trust in institutions more than the repeated and systematic failures to protect vulnerable girls over decades. The scandals that have emerged from towns and cities across the UK such as Oldham, Rotherham, Rochdale, Telford, and many more, reveal not just the horrifying crimes of the perpetrators, but also the deep-rooted negligence and, in some cases, complicity of the very authorities tasked with safeguarding young people.

This is a moment for courage, not complacency. An inquiry into the systemic failures that allowed grooming gangs to flourish is not just necessary; it is urgent. But if it is to succeed, it must be properly funded, meticulously designed, and uncompromising in its scope. Lessons must be learned, accountability must be enforced, and justice must be done, not only for the victims but for the wider public that has been let down by the state so profoundly.

The calls for a grooming gang inquiry are not a matter of political grandstanding, as some have claimed. They are a moral imperative. The victims of these heinous crimes deserve more than hollow apologies and empty promises. They deserve answers and justice. And the public deserves assurances that such failures will never be repeated.

The failures in these cases were not isolated incidents. They reveal systemic issues within law enforcement, social services, and local government. Time and again, reports have shown that victims were ignored or disbelieved, often due to a toxic combination of incompetence, fear of accusations of racism, and a deeply ingrained culture of hushing up. Without a comprehensive national inquiry these patterns will remain unexamined, those state actors involved will remain unaccountable and the same mistakes will continue to be made.

It must be transparent, robust, and independent

However, if we are to embark on such an inquiry, we must learn from the ongoing debacle of the COVID inquiry. The TaxPayers’ Alliance have estimated it to have a staggering final price tag of over £200 million, yet it appears to have become more about giving cover for those providing the advice and making the decisions than delivering meaningful insights or accountability. Instead of addressing the devastating economic impacts of lockdowns, the long-term consequences on education, or the catastrophic failures in care homes, much of its focus has been on internal government squabbles, some blue language on WhatsApp messages and bureaucratic navel-gazing.

A grooming gang inquiry must avoid this fate. It cannot become an exercise in whitewashing or self-preservation for those who failed so catastrophically. Its terms of reference must be clear, and its objectives must be centred on uncovering the truth, addressing institutional failures, and delivering justice. Every pound spent must go towards these ends, not towards inflated fees for lawyers or protecting the reputations of officials who should have acted at the time but didn’t. 

The design of the inquiry will determine its success. It must be transparent, robust, and independent. Crucially, its scope must cover: institutional failures by the police, local councils and social services; cultural factors which hindered law enforcement and safeguarding measures; victim support to understand how victims were treated at the time and what support they need now; and accountability so that state actors and the perpetrators are held to account, including the possibility of criminal charges and deportation for those who covered up, ignored or carried out the abuse.

But an inquiry is only the first step. Justice requires consequences

The composition of the inquiry team is just as important. It must include experts who are independent from the institutions under scrutiny. Victim advocacy groups should also have a prominent role to ensure the voices of those who suffered are central to the process. Journalists (such as Charlie Peters and Andrew Norfolk) who bravely dug deeper and tried to bring this to our attention should be consulted. And, unlike the COVID inquiry, it must have a clear timeline and budget. Transparency throughout should allow more money if it is needed as the inquiry progresses.

But an inquiry is only the first step. Justice requires consequences. The perpetrators of these crimes must face the harshest penalties available under the law and those found to be foreign nationals should be subject to deportation. More than this, those with dual nationality should have their UK citizenship stripped from them, with intense pressure applied on the country that they have remaining citizenship with to take them back. There can be no excuse for allowing those who have committed such appalling acts to remain in this country.

Equally, those in positions of power who enabled these crimes, whether through negligence, cowardice, or outright complicity, must face meaningful consequences. This cannot mean quiet resignations to go and enjoy generous taxpayer-funded pensions. It must mean criminal investigations, prosecutions where appropriate, and, at the very least, the permanent removal of those individuals from any position of public trust.

At the TaxPayers’ Alliance, we have long championed the responsible use of public money. But let us be clear: this is a case where money must not be spared. A properly conducted inquiry into grooming gangs is not a luxury, it is a necessity. The cost of such an inquiry is dwarfed by the human and societal cost of failing to act.

Of course every penny must still be spent wisely — it is still taxpayers’ money after all. Wise spending in this instance will mean the focus remaining squarely on uncovering the truth, delivering justice, and preventing future failures; not on lining the pockets of consultants and lawyers, or producing bloated reports with no action thereafter.