British lawmakers have rejected a proposal by the opposition Conservative Party to launch a new national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. 

The proposal, introduced as an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, was defeated in the House of Commons by 364 votes to 111, a majority of 253.  

The ruling Labour Party criticised the Conservatives for attempting to derail the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which includes measures to protect children, regulate home-schooling, and reform academies. Labour accused the Conservatives of trying to block the bill by introducing the amendment for a national inquiry.  

The grooming scandal, which first emerged in 2010, involves the abuse of young girls in towns like Rochdale, Oldham, and Rotherham by British-Pakistani men. A 2014 inquiry revealed that 1,400 children were exploited in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, while nearly 1,000 girls were abused over four decades in Telford.

 Another inquiry in 2022 found that child sexual abuse was “endemic” across England and Wales but did not focus specifically on these incidents.  

During the debate, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of a “cover-up” for refusing a new inquiry, arguing that no comprehensive investigation had been conducted into the racial or cultural aspects of the crimes. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer (pictured above) countered by accusing Badenoch of politicising the issue, saying she had not raised the matter during her tenure in the previous Conservative government. 

Britain plans to introduce a new sanctions framework targeting the leaders of networks responsible for smuggling tens of thousands of people into the country each year. The measures will also address the manufacturers, often based in China, who produce the boats and motors used in these operations, the government announced on Wednesday.

Facing mounting political pressure to reduce the number of migrants arriving in small boats from France, the government stated that these sanctions would complement its broader migration reforms.

In a statement Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We will focus on dismantling the finances of these gangs and holding accountable those who endanger lives for profit.

The policy is set to be a key feature of a speech by Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday, highlighting collaboration between the Foreign and Home Offices. The government aims to implement the sanctions by the end of the year.

These measures would allow authorities to bar individuals linked to people-smuggling from entering the UK, impose penalties on those conducting business with them, and freeze their assets.

The issue has gained international attention, with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticising Starmer for his handling of the scandal during his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2008 to 2013.

Musk accused Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice and even called on King Charles to intervene.

The UK government has dismissed Musk’s remarks, describing them as “misjudged and misinformed.” Despite the controversy, the Labour-led government has maintained its stance against launching a new inquiry.