Pat McFadden was responding to a statement made by Dan Carden this weekend
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster(Image: Getty Images)
A government minister has responded to comments from a Liverpool Labour MP who was the first to call on his party in government to hold a new national inquiry into child grooming gangs.
Walton MP Dan Carden caused a stir with comments made to the ECHO this week, in which he criticised his party over its response to a growing row about historic grooming in the country. Mr Carden said the country must ‘question and challenge the orthodoxy of progressive liberal multiculturalism that led to authorities failing to act’ over historic grooming scandals.
Asked about the comments during a visit to Liverpool on Wednesday, cabinet member Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told the ECHO: “I understand and share people’s concerns about the terrible crimes that have been committed in different parts of the country in recent years.”
He pointed out that a major inquiry has already taken place on the issue, adding: “Nobody should ever be saying we don’t want to find out as much as we can about that, but there was a national inquiry and it took seven years, headed by Professor Alexis Jay and the focus of the government is implementing the recommendations that that inquiry came up with because, candidly, the last government did nothing about them. So that’s where our focus is, but we will always want to find out as much as we can about what happened to get justice for the victims.
“It is also important to know that we are legislating right now for better child protection, we had a vote on this last week in Parliament and to remind your readers that halving violence against women and girls is one of the key goals of this government.
Mr McFadden added: “Professor Jay indicated that she thought the time is for action. I never want to close the door on finding out more but what we don’t want to do is repeat the exercise that took seven years in the past.”
Dan Carden has spoken out about what he says are ‘unspeakable rape gangs’
In his statement, revealed exclusively by the ECHO this weekend, Mr Carden said: “The British public want action and justice on the unspeakable rape gangs. The scale of the crimes committed – rape, murder, torture – are horrific.
“The public compassion for the victims, thousands of young British working class girls and children is real. The public call for justice must be heeded. It is shocking that people in positions of power could have covered up and refused to act to avoid confronting racial or cultural issues or because victims were poor and working class.
Challenging his party leader, the Labour MP added: “Both Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips have strong records in this area and yet the government has failed to take the high ground. It must communicate a clear message about whose side it is on and now direct the state to implement the rule of law without fear of favour and deliver justice.
“The Prime Minister must use the full power of the state to deliver justice. It must continue to unflinchingly pursue the perpetrators and bring to account those in positions of authority who turned a blind eye ,failed to act, or gave political cover to the gangs.”