On December 8, 2025, the debate over how to tackle the UK’s grooming gangs crisis reached a new crescendo, as Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch demanded that a long-promised national inquiry "leave no stone unturned." Speaking at a press conference in central London, Badenoch called for a sweeping investigation that would probe not just offenders, but also the actions of local councils, police, and even the government itself — if necessary. Her message was clear: the inquiry must be robust, time-limited, and unafraid to examine uncomfortable truths about ethnicity, religion, and cultural factors.
The urgency behind Badenoch’s call was palpable. The UK government, led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, had announced the launch of a national inquiry into grooming gangs back in June 2025. But since then, progress has been hampered by delays, disputes over the scope, and a revolving door of leadership. By October, the final two candidates to chair the inquiry had withdrawn, citing concerns over their prior connections to the police and social services — both institutions under scrutiny for their handling of past abuse cases. Meanwhile, a group of women resigned from the inquiry’s victim liaison panel, accusing the government of trying to broaden the inquiry’s remit to cover other forms of child sexual abuse, which they argued would dilute its focus.
"I want to be clear that a national inquiry must leave no stone unturned," Badenoch declared, according to Nation Cymru and BBC News. "It must investigate councils, the police and even the government if necessary. It must be time-limited, and it must consider the role of ethnicity, religion and other cultural factors." These remarks echoed concerns raised in Baroness Louise Casey’s report, which acknowledged that many grooming gang cases have involved perpetrators of Asian and Pakistani ethnic backgrounds. As Badenoch referenced, Casey's report warned that downplaying the ethnicity of offenders "continues to let down society, local communities and the victims."
For Badenoch and her party, the inquiry’s terms of reference are non-negotiable. The Conservatives have published their own detailed draft, developed with input from victims and survivors, which would ensure the investigation examines the ethnicity and religious background of offenders, sets a two-year time limit, and focuses squarely on extra-familial (non-familial) abuse. It would also require the inquiry to forward any evidence of criminality directly to police and prosecutors. "This is about survivors and what they want. We must give a voice to the voiceless," Badenoch insisted, according to BBC News.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp stood firmly beside Badenoch. At the press conference, he stressed the importance of urgency: "It can't drag on for years and years," Philp said, reiterating the Conservatives’ demand for a strict two-year limit. Philp also advocated for tough measures against dual nationals found guilty of involvement in grooming gangs, stating, "Dual nationals should be stripped of their British citizenship, and they should be deported with no exceptions. We don’t want these people in our country. If they have citizenship of another country, then they should be deported, and their British citizenship should be removed, no ifs, no buts." He even suggested that visa sanctions and the suspension of foreign aid should be considered as levers to ensure other countries take back their citizens.
The political wrangling over the inquiry’s direction has exposed deep divisions — not just between parties, but also among survivors and advocates. Several women who had been part of the inquiry’s victim liaison panel resigned in protest, accusing the government of attempting to widen the inquiry’s focus to include all forms of child sexual abuse. Fiona Goddard, one such survivor, told Sky News she had "lost faith in the ability of the government to make more meaningful progress," and voiced support for the Conservatives’ more targeted approach.
Baroness Casey, a seasoned Whitehall troubleshooter brought in to assist with the inquiry, admitted that it could be "months" before a new chair is appointed. The government’s official line, as relayed by the Prime Minister’s spokesman, is that a "huge amount of work" is underway to get the inquiry "up and running." Yet, for many survivors and campaigners, these assurances ring hollow after six months of stalled progress and public resignations.
The government’s own plans for the inquiry, led by the Independent Commission on Grooming Gangs (ICCG), would coordinate a series of targeted local investigations with legal powers to compel witnesses and summon evidence. A Labour spokesperson told BBC News that the government is "committed to a full, statutory, national inquiry to uncover the truth," and that it will "explicitly examine the background, ethnicity and culture of offenders." The spokesperson also pointedly criticized the Conservatives for what they described as a "shameful failure" to implement recommendations from previous inquiries, such as Professor Alexis Jay’s seven-year investigation into child sexual abuse, which concluded in October 2022.
The political stakes are high, and the issue is far from confined to England. In an interview with GB News, Badenoch called for the national inquiry to extend its reach to Scotland, underlining the widespread nature of the problem and the need for a truly nationwide response.
Despite the heated rhetoric and political blame games, there is broad agreement across party lines on several key points: the inquiry must be statutory (with the power to compel witnesses), its remit must include a frank examination of ethnicity and cultural factors, and it must deliver justice for survivors who have waited far too long. Both Labour and the Conservatives have signaled willingness to work with survivors and advocates in shaping the inquiry’s direction — at least in principle.
Yet, as of early December, the inquiry remains in limbo. Survivors and their families continue to wait for answers and for action. As Badenoch put it, "Their lives and their families’ lives have been turned upside down, so separate to this inquiry, the government must act now to ensure that they and their families are supported so they can heal."
With public patience wearing thin and political pressure mounting, the fate of the grooming gangs inquiry hangs in the balance. The coming months will reveal whether the government can deliver the "robust, rigorous and laser-focused" investigation it has promised — or whether, as critics fear, the search for answers will drag on, leaving survivors and communities still waiting for justice.
