Starmer insists national grooming inquiry 'will never be watered down'

The Prime Minister has insisted that the national grooming gangs inquiry “will never be watered down”, despite criticism from four survivors who quit their roles in the probe this week.

Sir Keir Starmer defended the inquiry on Wednesday, saying “injustice will have no place to hide”.

He was challenged at Prime Minister’s Questions over the resignation of four women from the inquiry’s victims and survivors panel.

“The inquiry is not and will never be watered down,” the Prime Minister said.

“Its scope will not change. It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders, and we will find the right person to chair the inquiry.”

Two survivors, Fiona Goddard and Ellie-Ann Reynolds, resigned on Monday, citing concerns about a “toxic environment”.

Two unnamed women followed them on Tuesday.

The women levelled criticism at the Home Office over attempts to widen the scope of the inquiry, and the candidates being considered to chair the inquiry, one of whom was reportedly a former police chief and the other a social worker.

Annie Hudson, a former director of children’s services for Lambeth, has now reportedly withdrawn her candidacy following recent media coverage.

Ms Goddard also called for safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, to resign over her comments disputing the allegations that the inquiry was being watered down.

She said: “My problem is there is little to no recognition of what Jess Phillips did today by nationally calling me a liar when she knew I was telling the truth.

“I think that there needs to be an apology, swiftly followed by Jess Phillips’ resignation.”

In the Commons on Wednesday, Starmer defended Phillips, saying: “I respect the views of all the survivors, and there are different views, I accept that.

“But the safeguarding minister, I think, has probably more experience than any other person in this House in dealing with violence against women and girls.”

He also told MPs that Baroness Louise Casey will support Phillips work on the inquiry. .

“I can tell the house today, Mr Speaker, that Dame Louise Casey will now support the work of the inquiry, and it will get to the truth. Injustice will have no place to hide,” he said.

Baroness Casey, a former victims’ commissioner, previously led a “national audit” of group-based child sexual exploitation that found “many examples” of organisations shying away from discussion of “ethnicity or cultural factors” in such offences “for fear of appearing racist”.

Her findings, published in June 2025, prompted Sir Keir to order the creation of the national inquiry.