Expand grooming gangs inquiry to Scotland, UK Government urged
The UK Government should expand the grooming gangs scandal inquiry to cover Scotland, the shadow Scottish secretary has said.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a probe after initially ruling the move out, while a review published on Monday suggested officials had dodged the issue of race in grooming gangs over fears of appearing racist.
Available data showed offenders were disproportionately Asian men.
On Tuesday, shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie urged Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to expand the remit of the inquiry.
In a letter to the minister, Mr Bowie welcomed the announcement of the inquiry, which he described as 'long overdue'.
He added: 'However, I write to urge you to ensure that this inquiry is truly national in scope – and that it is extended to include Scotland.
'Victims of grooming gangs in Scotland must not and cannot be overlooked.'
There is 'clear evidence' grooming gangs have been in operation in Scotland, the MP said, as he called for either the extension or for the UK Government to work with ministers in Scotland to set up their own inquiry.
He added: 'Victims in Scotland deserve the same recognition, and opportunity for justice. Excluding Scotland from the inquiry risks creating a two-tier system of justice.
'I urge you to work with the Scottish Government to ensure that this inquiry can extend its remit to include relevant cases in Scotland, or to support the establishment of a parallel inquiry with equivalent powers and independence.
'Once again, I urge you to ensure thorough and effective implementation for victims across the United Kingdom by extending the scope to include Scotland.'
Mr Bowie's calls come as Labour MP Joani Reid urged the Scottish Government to set up its own inquiry.
Speaking to the Daily Record, the East Kilbride and Strathaven MP said: 'If the Scottish Government does not intend to hold its own dedicated inquiry, we need clear reasons why – not the vague responses we've had so far.
'This issue is too serious and urgent to leave unanswered.
'I hope the First Minister recognises how important it is to act swiftly to safeguard young people.
'We cannot allow bureaucracy or complacency to put children at further risk.'
Speaking to journalists on Monday, First Minister John Swinney said: 'The Prime Minister has obviously taken his own decision on grooming gangs.
'We established some years ago the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, which has got extensive scope and ability to explore many or all of these issues.
'There will, of course, be other processes of inquiry that are undertaken when that's appropriate.
'I would give every consideration to an issue of this type if I felt it was necessary to be undertaken and obviously we will do that in the fullness of time.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Starmer dismisses concerns on Trump's health after document gaffe
Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed concerns about Donald Trump's health after the US president dropped pages of the UK-US trade deal when holding it up for the cameras. Mr Trump's slip happened as he held the bundle of documents when standing alongside the Prime Minister after their talks at the G7 summit in Canada. Mr Trump also told reporters he was pleased to have signed a deal with the 'European Union', rather than the UK. Earlier this month, he had tripped when climbing the stairs of Air Force One. Sir Keir reached down to pick up the pages of the trade deal, which dropped to the floor. The Tories mocked an image capturing him crouched at the feet of the president. Joe Biden, Mr Trump's predecessor as US president, often had slips and gaffes leapt upon by Right-wing critics when he was in the White House. Mr Biden dropped his attempt to seek re-election after concerns soared after a stumbling debate performance against Mr Trump last summer. Mr Trump, 79, is just three years younger than 82-year-old Mr Biden. Asked whether he had concerns about the US president's health, Sir Keir told reporters at the G7 summit. 'No. I mean, look, there weren't many choices with the documents and picking it up, because as you probably know there were quite strict rules about who can get close to the president. 'I mean, seriously, I think if any of you had stepped forward other than me.. I was just deeply conscious that in a situation like [that] it would not have been good for anybody else to have stepped forwards – not that any of you rushed to! There's a very tightly guarded security zone around the President, as you would expect.' The comments referenced the pack of reporters, photographers and cameramen who were standing nearby and covering the remarks from Sir Keir and Mr Trump. 'He's slightly more liberal than I am' The Prime Minister and the US president appear to have struck up a warm, constructive personal relationship despite their differing political and personal backgrounds. Mr Trump joked after their meeting in Canada: 'We're very long-time partners and allies and friends, and we've become friends in a short period of time. He's slightly more liberal than I am. 'The Prime Minister has done a great job. I want to just tell that to the people of the United Kingdom. He's done a very, very good job.' The Prime Minister was asked by reporters to explain why Mr Trump likes him so much, given that other world leaders have had strained relationships with the US president. Sir Keir said: 'That's really for him to answer rather than me, but we do have a good relationship. I think that is in the national interest, frankly. There's long been a close relationship between the US and the UK. 'As I've said many times, on defence and security and intelligence sharing in particular, we are closer than any two countries, and I'm very pleased that I've got a good relationship with him – notwithstanding, as both he and I acknowledge, that our political backgrounds are different. 'But it just goes to prove that it is possible to work in a constructive way if you keep your focus on the national interest.'
Sky News
30 minutes ago
- Sky News
Bosses of Octopus Energy and SSE clash over 'postcode pricing' proposals
The head of Britain's biggest energy supplier has claimed his competitors oppose proposals for so-called postcode pricing because they financially benefit from the current system. Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson told Sky News his business's rivals were against customers being charged based on where they lived, rather than on a national basis, because they would lose out on profits. He said: "A very small number of companies that today get paid tens of millions, sometimes in a single day, to turn off wind farms and generate gas elsewhere, don't like it. "The reason you're seeing that kind of behaviour from the rivals is they are benefiting from the current system that's generating incredible profitability." The government is currently considering whether to introduce the policy, which is also known as zonal pricing. Energy secretary Ed Miliband is expected to make a decision on the proposals by this summer. Octopus has become Britain's biggest supplier with more than seven million customers. Mr Jackson has been a vocal proponent, as he said he wants to charge customers less and boost government electrification policies by having cheaper electricity costs. What is postcode pricing? Zonal pricing would mean electricity bills are based on what region you live in. Some parts of Britain, like northern Scotland, are home to huge energy producers in the form of offshore wind farms. But rather than feeding electricity to local homes and businesses, power goes into a nationwide auction and is bought to go across Britain. As the energy grid is still wired for the old coal-producing sites rather than the modern renewable generators, it's not straightforward to get electricity from where it's increasingly produced to the places people live and work. That leads to traffic jams on the grid, blocking paid-for electricity moving to where it's needed and a system where producers can be paid a second time, to power down, and other suppliers, often gas plants, are paid to meet the shortfall. Zonal pricing is designed to prevent paying the generators for power that can't be used. It would mean those in Scotland have lower wholesale energy costs while those in the south, where there is less renewable energy production, would have higher wholesale costs. Whether bills go up or down depends on implementation. Savings from one region could be spread across Britain, lowering bills across the board. Mr Miliband has said he's not going to decide to raise prices. However, SSE's chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies described the policy as a "distraction" and said it could affect already agreed-upon upgrades of the national grid that will lower costs. "I think you've got a very, very small number of people who are asking for this. It's just a distraction. We should remove it now," he said. While Octopus Energy estimates that said postcode pricing could be introduced in two to four years, Mr Phillips-Davies said it could take until 2032 before it was implemented, by which time Britain would have "built much of the networks that are required to get the energy from these places down into the homes and businesses that actually need it". "We just need to stay true to the course," he added. Unions, as well as industry and energy representatives, have also spoken out against the policy. Opponents include eco-tycoon Dale Vince and trade body UK Steel. A joint letter signed by SSE, UK Steel, Ceramics UK and British Glass, along with the unions GMB, Unite and Unison, said zonal pricing could lead to scaled-back investment due to uncertainty and higher bills. A separate letter signed by 55 investors, including Centrica and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, has also criticised the policy. 1:21 However, Mr Jackson said many investors had not voiced opposition, with thousands of small and medium businesses instead backing the policy in the hope of paying less on energy bills.
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying moment driver catapults holidaymakers into air after deliberately smashing into them in row over double booked AirBnB rental - as he is jailed
This is the terrifying moment a driver deliberately smashed into two holidaymakers, catapulting them into the air, in a row over a double booked AirBnB rental. Johnathan Newbury, 33, was yesterday jailed for ten years for ploughing his SUV into pedestrians Ryan Jones, 18, and a 17-year-old boy. He had armed himself with a zombie knife and was 'intent on violence' during the car attack in July last year, a court heard. The row broke out after Newbury discovered the AirBnB he had rented for the weekend in Cardiff, Wales, had accidently been double booked. Newbury and his friend Elliott Fiteni, 23, were already inside the property when Mr Jones and the teenager turned up for their own stay. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Newbury began hurling threats at the pair, shouting 'I'll f*** you up' through a window. He then hunted the men in a black SUV before mowing them down in the street. Prosecutor James Wilson said footage showed the vehicle 'immediately speeding up' and striking two of them as they crossed. Newbury then fled the scene as the victims were left on the ground with serious injuries. Mr Jones suffered injuries to his pelvis and right foot while the teenager lost consciousness and sustained injuries to his jaw, ribs, chest and abdomen. Mr Wilson said the row had started over the booking made in the Cathays area of Cardiff in July of last year where Newbury was due to stay with friend Elliot Fiteni. He said: 'Mr Jones, [...] and another friend had booked an Airbnb on Bruce Street called the Comfortable Stay. 'By chance, a booking had been made at the same address on behalf of Mr Fiteni, who accepted he stayed at the address along with Mr Newbury. 'They were already at the building when Mr Jones and [...] walked towards it.' Newbury, of Cardiff, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article. Judge Jeremy Jenkins Newbury 'You were present at an AirBnB at Bruce Street in Cardiff, the two complainants [...] and Mr Jones had also booked accommodation at the same address and there had been an earlier altercation.' The judge said Newbury had then been part of a group 'armed with what has been described as a zombie knife' and 'intent on violence'. He said: 'The clear aim was to attack [...] and Mr Jones, both ran away from the scene.' Judge Jenkins said Newbury was the driver of the SUV which was 'seen to speed up, to drive on the wrong side of the road into the junction and to deliberately collide with the two men, throwing them up in the air.' Newbury was handed an extended sentence of 10 years and told he must serve at least five years and four months behind bars.
