The Tory government’s track record on tackling grooming gangs came under fire this morning when BBC presenter John Kay clashed with Robert Jenrick on BBC Breakfast.
“Did You Do Enough?”
Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, appeared on the show to defend his party’s record as the Conservatives push for a full public inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. With a Commons vote looming, Jenrick highlighted steps taken under Tory leadership, including the creation of a grooming gangs taskforce.
He claimed the taskforce had led to 550 arrests and protected 4,500 victims. But Kay wasn’t letting him off the hook.
“Did you do enough?” Kay asked pointedly.
Jenrick’s response? “I think we need to do more, of course we need to do more. If a single young girl is being subjected to this horrific, medieval torture and rape on the streets of our country today, then clearly we all need to do more.”
A Heated Exchange
Not satisfied, Kay pressed further: “So if that is what has been happening in this country for decades, as you say, did you in government do enough?”
Sticking to his line, Jenrick replied, “I think we have to do more, of course. I’ve said that, I’ve been very clear about that.”
Kay wasn’t giving up. “You’re not answering the question. You’re saying what we need to do in the future. I’m asking about your record as Conservatives in government. Did you do enough?”
Clearly under pressure, Jenrick admitted, “I’m saying clearly that more needed to be done … that’s why we need to have a full national inquiry. But a number of significant steps were taken.”
The Backdrop
This tense interview comes amid calls from the Conservatives for a national inquiry into grooming gangs, a move they insist is not a reaction to Elon Musk’s recent social media campaign against Labour over the issue.
While Jenrick stood by the Tories’ previous efforts, his admission that more could—and should—have been done may leave some wondering if the party is playing catch-up rather than leading the charge.
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