Amid constant attacks from Elon Musk, Sir Keir Starmer has hit out at those “spreading lies” online about the grooming gangs scandal, saying such people are “not interested in victims”. It came after the prime minister unveiled his plan to reform the NHS and cut waiting lists.
Monday 6 January 2025 17:48, UK
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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is up in the House of Commons, where she is making a statement on child sexual exploitation.
She said this is the “most vile and horrific of crimes”, which can do “deep, long term harm”.
Ms Cooper added that “all of us have a responsibility to protect our children”.
“But these crimes have not been taken seriously for too long,” she told MPs. “And far too many children have been failed.
“That is why this government is determined to act, strengthening the law, taking forward recommendations from independent inquiries, supporting stronger police action and protection for victims.”
Yvette Cooper is on her feet in the House of Commons to make a statement about child sexual exploitation.
It comes as the government resists calls from the Tories and Reform for a public inquiry into the crimes of grooming gangs, after it emerged last week that safeguarding minister Jess Phillips had rejected a request for one from Oldham Council.
You can watch the statement live in the stream below, and we’ll bring you any updates here as well.
Sir Keir Starmer has urged those in flood-hit areas to follow advice from emergency services after thousands of homes were affected by extreme weather.
Both Lincolnshire and Leicestershire have declared major incidents.
The prime minister said: “Major incidents have been declared in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire due to severe flooding.
“My thoughts are with all those affected and my thanks to responders working hard to keep communities safe.
“Anyone in these areas should follow advice from the emergency services.”
A man has been charged with malicious communications over threats sent to Jess Phillips, Sky News understands.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said the safeguarding minister had received threats after Elon Musk described her as a “witch” and “rape genocide apologist” on his social media platform X.
That was following reports Ms Phillips had refused a request from Oldham council for a public inquiry into child sexual abuse in the town.
Asked about the PM’s comments, police said a man had been charged following three reports of malicious communications.
He is Jack Bennett, 39, from Seaton. It’s understood he was charged over the weekend.
Devon and Cornwall Police said: “The charges relate to reports of alleged malicious communications being sent between April 2024 and January 2025 involving three victims.”
He’s been bailed to appear in court on 18 February.
As winter sickness hits the NHS, the prime minister has unveiled the government’s plans to support the health service via a new partnership with the private sector.
Labour want to get waiting times for non-urgent care back down to the target of 18 weeks over the next five years.
The plan includes the development of new “community diagnostic centres”.
Our health correspondent Ashish Joshi speaks to Niall Paterson from one inside a shopping centre in north London.
Niall is also joined by Dr Rob Findlay to discuss whether the plans will actually help the NHS and its staff.
Sir Keir Starmer has wished Justin Trudeau “well for the future” after his Canadian counterpart announced his resignation.
Number 10 was asked about the decision of Canada’s prime minister to quit, having seen his ratings plunge in the polls.
An election must be held in Canada by this October, with Mr Trudeau’s Liberals expected to lose heavily to the official opposition Conservatives.
The Conservatives plan to put forward an amendment calling for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs grooming scandal later this week.
Labour have so far refused to order an inquiry into grooming gangs in Oldham, leading to fierce criticism from the Tories and billionaire business tycoon Elon Musk.
Sir Keir Starmer has said the government will instead work to implement recommendations from a 2022 inquiry, which he said the Conservatives had ignored.
Earlier, he said Kemi Badenoch’s call for an inquiry when her government didn’t implement the previous recommendations shows “trying to get noticed is more important” than the issue itself.
‘End the culture of cover-ups’
But Ms Badenoch has now said: “I was serious when I said it’s time to get justice for victims.
“So on Wednesday, Conservatives will put forward an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing Bill to require a full national inquiry into the rape gangs grooming scandal.
“If the amendment is selected, I hope MPs from all parties will vote to support the inquiry, so we can do right by the victims and end the culture of cover-ups.”
There is no foundation for Elon Musk’s allegations about how Gordon Brown dealt with child grooming gangs, a spokesperson for the former prime minister has said.
The billionaire business tycoon had accused Mr Brown of having “committed an unforgivable crime against the British people” and “sold those little girls for votes” over his handling of the scandal.
Responding to the claims, Mr Brown’s spokesperson said: “There is no basis for such allegations at all. They are a complete fabrication.”
‘No foundation’
“There is no foundation whatsoever for alleging that Mr Brown sent, approved or was in any way involved with issuing a circular or statement to the police because it did not happen,” they added.
“The original source of these allegations has expressly accepted Mr Brown was not involved at all.
“Moreover, there is no evidence that such words or actions now attributed to him by Elon Musk have ever been used by Mr Brown, because he neither said nor did them.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of using “Labour smear tactics from 20 years ago” in the wake of an escalating row over grooming gangs.
The prime minister said “a line had been crossed” in the criticism of safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, who Elon Musk called a “witch” and “rape genocide apologist”.
Sir Keir condemned the Tories for not calling out the comments, saying too many politicians were “casual about honesty and decency”.
He added that Ms Badenoch’s calls for a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation were undermined by the previous government’s failure to implement the recommendations of a previous report, saying it showed “trying to get noticed is more important”.
Reacting to this, Ms Badenoch said Sir Keir is “applying Labour smear tactics from 20 years ago and thinks they will work today”.
She added: “He is a man of the past with no answers for today’s problems, let alone tomorrow’s.
“That such a huge scandal could occur should prompt soul-searching not ranting that those of us who care about it are ‘the far-right’.”
By Ashish Joshi, health correspondent
Millions of extra appointments, high street state of the art diagnostic centres, non-stop surgical hubs and an effective NHS app giving patients a “shoppers’ experience”.
This is Sir Keir Starmer’s elective reform plan. It reads more like a revolution.
That’s why there are questions being asked about how achievable the government’s NHS plans actually are, especially the self-imposed deadline of making sure 92% of patients are seen within 18 weeks before the next election in 2029.
Community diagnostic centres will be open for 12 hours, seven days a week, significantly reducing the number of people waiting for a test or diagnosis. It’s currently around 1.6 million people.
By having these centres on high streets, away from crumbling NHS estates, patient access is made much easier, but these premises have to be found and adapted within existing buildings and not built from scratch.
Goodwill is there – but it won’t be enough
The greatest obstacle for the government is the workforce – extra trained staff can’t be magicked up, the NHS workforce plan will take years to deliver the staff the NHS needs.
The goodwill is there – all NHS staff want patients to get timely treatment – but there’s a limit to how much they can do.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting says he’s aware of staffing issues, but that can’t get in the way of reform. The NHS will need to work more “efficiently”, according to him.
Everybody, patients and staff, will be hoping the government does meet its elective target – then it can turn its attention to the rest of the health service that desperately needs help.
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