Jess Phillips ‘more than happy’ to talk about co-operation on grooming inquiry

Jess Phillips has suggested she is open to co-operating with Rupert Lowe’s private inquiry into grooming gangs.

The Home Office minister said she was “more than happy” to meet the Independent MP to “talk about any level of co-operation”, during an urgent question in the Commons.

Mr Lowe said he was “pleased that Government is willing to engage” with his inquiry, in a post on X.

More than £600,000 has been raised to fund the rape gang inquiry set up by Mr Lowe, according to its Crowdfunder page which was launched last month .

The former Reform UK MP had previously called on the Government to conduct a national inquiry into grooming gangs across the UK, alongside his former party colleagues.

The issue hit the headlines in January after billionaire X owner Elon Musk criticised the Prime Minister and Ms Phillips over the UK’s handling of child grooming scandals.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Lowe said: “Despite multiple promises of inquiries from political parties across this House, it seems that the only operational investigation will be the rape gang inquiry, which I have privately launched.

“It has garnered cross-party support, and I implore MPs from any political persuasion to align with our cause.

“Will the minister today commit to engaging in a co-operative manner with the investigation and make herself available to answer questions from our expert panel?”

Ms Phillips replied: “What I would say to (Mr Lowe) is that I delight in his interest in this, and what I would say to every single member in this House is that I will work with absolutely anybody to make this better.

“And I’m more than happy to meet with him and talk about any level of co-operation, because if people are genuinely here to try and stop the grooming gangs in this country, I am genuinely here to help.”

Writing for the Telegraph earlier this month, Mr Lowe said he intends to keep his promise and set up the inquiry because “our gutless political class is too cowardly to even start to process what has truly happened”.

He told the newspaper: “Of course, we won’t have statutory powers, but only the state can authorise such an inquiry and evidently, that is not happening. If individuals have nothing to hide, then they will show and make their case.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has previously confirmed that inquiries in five towns will go ahead despite calls continuing for a nationwide public inquiry.

Baroness Louise Casey is overseeing a national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, looking at the scale, nature and profile of group-based abuse, including the characteristics of offenders.