Former Conservative Minister Is "Extremely Disappointed" By Tory Approach To Grooming Gangs Debate
3 min read
A former Tory minister has said he is "extremely disappointed" by how his party has approached the child grooming gang issue.
Steve Baker, ex-Conservative MP for Wycombe, also suggested that shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick was "leaving the door open" to "racism" when he recently posted online that the UK had imported "hundreds of thousands of people from alien cultures".
The former Northern Ireland and Brexit minister, who lost his seat at the July general election, spoke on the most recent episode of PoliticsHome's podcast The Rundown.
Baker told the podcast that he supports calls by Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch and others for a new national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to launch a new inquiry, arguing that the government should instead focus on implementing recommendations set out in Professor Alexis Jay's inquiry. Launching a new one would delay justice for victims, Starmer argues.
However, Baker said he was "extremely disappointed" by how his party had approached the issue and went on to single out Jenrick for particularly strong criticism.
Posting on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, last week, Jenrick said: "The scandal started with the onset of mass migration. Importing hundreds of thousands of people from alien cultures, who possess medieval attitudes towards women, brought us here."
Baker told PoliticsHome: "What the national inquiry — that we should have — should look at is was the law set aside for some people based on their identity? Because if it was, that is an outrage, and the people who did it should live in ignominy and shame.
"If they set aside the law or cause the law to be set aside in pursuit of political advantage, that is a disgrace, and it would be right to flesh that out and do something about it.
"But that's what this really is about: equal application of law...
"When I hear people talking about alien culture and stuff, well, hang on a minute, some of the people who are my best supporters and friends in politics are second, third generation British Pakistani Muslims and I do despair of people leaving the door open to what I regard as racism."
The former minister added that "words are powerful and dangerous" and warned that people's lives are at risk. He cited "two cases... where British Muslims were killed by racists [...] just for being British Pakistani Muslims.
"One guy was murdered and called a groomer when he was murdered, totally untrue. Just confounded racism. Also, people were mowed down outside a mosque.
"We have to remember it's not just MPs who get subjected to death threats. Evil people out there can be inspired — and have been inspired — to kill others in these matters.
"I'm very disappointed with how this is being handled. It should be above mere politics.
"It's too important. We risk riots, we risk murders. And in the midst of all of this, of course, is what should be everyone's top priority: justice for the victims."
PoliticsHome has contacted the Conservative party for comment.
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