Robert Jenrick Called Out For Not Mentioning Grooming Gangs In The Commons

Robert Jenrick was slammed by Nick Robinson this morning for not raising the issue of grooming gangs in the Commons or in his former capacity as a minister.

It comes shortly after X CEO Elon Musk brought the issue back into the spotlight in the last week by repeatedly attacking Labour for their record over it.

The Tories are now calling for a full public inquiry into the scandal, despite previously rejecting suggestions to hold a similar probe when they were in office. 

During a clash on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme this morning, presenter Robinson questioned just how “energised” the shadow justice secretary had been about this issue in the past.

Robinson asked: “Did you raise it when you were a home office minister?”

“Look, I wrote about this last year,” Jenrick replied.

He suggested that grooming gangs should face whole life sentences from October 2024.

As Robinson pressed him further, Jenrick said: “When I was home office minister with Suella Braverman, we did take forward.”

He added: “I did discuss this with the home secretary but it wasn’t my portfolio.”

Robinson asked: “Did you raise it in the House of Commons?”

“Nick, I wrote about this last year and I was criticised for it,” Jenrick hit back.

Robinson replied: “Yes, I’ve checked Hansard [official report of all parliamentary debates] today and – it’s not a perfect test – when you put in the name Robert Jenrick, grooming, no mention, grooming gang, no mention, Rotherham, no mention, Rochdale, no mention, child sexual abuse, no mention, child rape, no mention.”

The presenter continued: “You have not raised – please correct me if my search is wrong – the issue of mass-gang rape and child sex abuse that you are so energised about, you have no evidence that you raised it as a minister and no evidence that you raised it in the House of Commons.”

The Tory frontbencher just said once again that he wrote an article about the issue and claimed Braverman was heavily criticised for her words on the matter.

He added: “This is not about us and it is not about the victims, it is right to hold a full national enquiry.”

Jenrick also faced scrutiny on BBC Breakfast this morning and admitted that his party could have “done more” to tackle the scandal when they they were in office.