'Dragging his heels!' Kemi Badenoch grills Keir Starmer as PM refuses to back national probe into rape gangs cover up

Badenoch and Starmer clashed over the topic, with the Conservative leader asking whether a "cover up" should be exposed.

The Prime Minister hit back, saying Labour is more committed to delivering "truth and justice" for victims of rape grooming gangs than the Conservative Party was.

In her opening question to Starmer, Badenoch said: "On Monday, the Prime Minister's Safeguarding Minister admitted on the floor of the House that there was a cover up of the child rape gang scandal. Does the Prime Minister think we should expose this cover up?"

The Prime Minister admitted that the rape gangs scandal is a "serious issue" but stopped short of pledging to hold a national inquiry.

He also said that where there is evidence of wrongdoing, the police should always investigate.

However, excluding the declared probe in Oldham, Starmer was unable to clarify where the remaining four inquiries will take place.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Labour MPs demand Keir Starmer puts 'quitting ECHR on table' to thwart Nigel Farage threat
• Labour told to 'get its act together' on food security in scathing attack by Atkins: 'Criminal!'
• Ed Miliband blasted for 'playing God with the weather' over plans to fund 'Sun-dimming experiments'

Elsewhere, a Labour backbencher accused Badenoch of "weaponising victims of child sexual abuse for political points".

Following Badenoch's fiery clash with Starmer, Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome told MPs: "I wish that the Leader of the Opposition would stop weaponising victims of child sexual abuse for political points.

"It’s damaging victims, and if she cared about child protection, she wouldn’t doing that. It’s a disgrace – a disgrace."

Badenoch had already told the Prime Minister he was "not the director of public prosecutions any more", adding: "He is the Prime Minister, people want to know what he is going to do now, not talk about what he did years ago."

The Prime Minister responded, saying: "We’ve had a national inquiry, we’ve had recommendations.

"There are hundreds of recommendations that have been made in relation to this issue, it is a serious issue.

"I strongly believe that we should implement the recommendations that have already been made and that is what we’re doing.

He also said that Labour has been "listening to victims for decades", adding: "And working with victims for decades in relation to what they want, which is local inquiries and we’ve set those local inquiries up."