The recent clamour from certain quarters (not all) about the child grooming scandal is, let's face it, a thinly veiled exercise in stoking racial tensions. If anyone genuinely believes that the far right's sudden and vociferous interest in child protection stems from a heartfelt concern for the welfare of vulnerable children, they're either naive or deliberately obtuse. Let's call it what it is – a racist dog whistle.
The loudest voices demanding a public enquiry – again – aren't interested in justice or safeguarding. They're interested in perpetuating a narrative that frames entire communities as threats. The likes of Tommy Robinson, who has made a career out of peddling fear and division, have shown time and again that their motivations are self-serving. His grandstanding outside courtrooms has jeopardised trials and risked letting perpetrators walk free. Imagine that – claiming to stand for justice while actively undermining it. The hypocrisy is staggering.
A public enquiry has already been conducted, the issues were laid bare, the failures exposed, and the recommendations made. What has been lacking is the political will to implement those recommendations. This reluctance stems partly from fear of backlash from powerful institutions implicated in past failures, a desire to avoid political controversy, and an aversion to being perceived as criticising law enforcement or local authorities. Local authorities, police forces, and social services were called out for their shortcomings. But rather than addressing these systemic failures, the focus has shifted to pointing fingers at entire ethnic groups. It's a grotesque deflection.
The irony is that this renewed furore – fuelled by xenophobic rhetoric – has, in a twisted way, spurred some action, such as increased police operations targeting grooming gangs and the review of safeguarding policies in certain councils. However, these actions align only partially with the recommendations from the previous enquiry, which emphasised systemic reforms over reactionary measures. But let's not mistake cause for virtue. The action taken isn't a result of moral awakening but of political expediency. Politicians, ever wary of the tide of public opinion, are acting to quell outrage rather than to right wrongs.
And let's be honest – if the grooming gangs in question had been predominantly white, the outrage wouldn't be anywhere near as loud. The far right isn't mobilising because of the crimes themselves but because the perpetrators are from minority communities. This is evident from figures like Tommy Robinson, who repeatedly emphasises the ethnic backgrounds of offenders to stoke division rather than focusing on the crimes themselves, and the likes of Britain First, who have historically exploited such cases for anti-immigrant propaganda. It's a racist agenda dressed up as concern for victims. A Home Office-commissioned study in 2020 found that group-based child sexual exploitation offenders are most commonly white males under 30, but the refrain; "Pakistani gangs," is a constant refrain.
What we don't need is yet another public enquiry. Dragging survivors through another round of questioning, forcing them to relive their trauma, would be cruel and unnecessary. The findings are already there. The solutions are known. What we need is action – decisive, robust, and informed by the recommendations already made. We need to see those in positions of power (or past holders of power - who are also bleating loudly) held accountable for their inaction. We need systemic change, not more platitudes and performative concern.
The far right's opportunism in exploiting these tragedies for their own ends is sickening. They don't care about the victims. They care about furthering their agenda of division and hate. And the media, ever eager for sensationalism, gives them the platform to do so. It's a cynical dance of outrage, where the victims are used as pawns in a game they never asked to be part of.
Let’s stop entertaining the notion that those crying the loudest are doing so out of compassion. They’re not. Their track record makes that abundantly clear. Real compassion would see us implementing the solutions already identified and ensuring that no more children fall through the cracks of a broken system. Real compassion would see us rejecting the poisonous rhetoric that seeks to blame entire communities for the actions of individuals. Real compassion would demand justice, not vengeance.
A public enquiry has already been conducted, the issues were laid bare, the failures exposed, and the recommendations made. What has been lacking is the political will to implement those recommendations. This reluctance stems partly from fear of backlash from powerful institutions implicated in past failures, a desire to avoid political controversy, and an aversion to being perceived as criticising law enforcement or local authorities. Local authorities, police forces, and social services were called out for their shortcomings. But rather than addressing these systemic failures, the focus has shifted to pointing fingers at entire ethnic groups. It's a grotesque deflection.
The irony is that this renewed furore – fuelled by xenophobic rhetoric – has, in a twisted way, spurred some action, such as increased police operations targeting grooming gangs and the review of safeguarding policies in certain councils. However, these actions align only partially with the recommendations from the previous enquiry, which emphasised systemic reforms over reactionary measures. But let's not mistake cause for virtue. The action taken isn't a result of moral awakening but of political expediency. Politicians, ever wary of the tide of public opinion, are acting to quell outrage rather than to right wrongs.
And let's be honest – if the grooming gangs in question had been predominantly white, the outrage wouldn't be anywhere near as loud. The far right isn't mobilising because of the crimes themselves but because the perpetrators are from minority communities. This is evident from figures like Tommy Robinson, who repeatedly emphasises the ethnic backgrounds of offenders to stoke division rather than focusing on the crimes themselves, and the likes of Britain First, who have historically exploited such cases for anti-immigrant propaganda. It's a racist agenda dressed up as concern for victims. A Home Office-commissioned study in 2020 found that group-based child sexual exploitation offenders are most commonly white males under 30, but the refrain; "Pakistani gangs," is a constant refrain.
What we don't need is yet another public enquiry. Dragging survivors through another round of questioning, forcing them to relive their trauma, would be cruel and unnecessary. The findings are already there. The solutions are known. What we need is action – decisive, robust, and informed by the recommendations already made. We need to see those in positions of power (or past holders of power - who are also bleating loudly) held accountable for their inaction. We need systemic change, not more platitudes and performative concern.
The far right's opportunism in exploiting these tragedies for their own ends is sickening. They don't care about the victims. They care about furthering their agenda of division and hate. And the media, ever eager for sensationalism, gives them the platform to do so. It's a cynical dance of outrage, where the victims are used as pawns in a game they never asked to be part of.
Let’s stop entertaining the notion that those crying the loudest are doing so out of compassion. They’re not. Their track record makes that abundantly clear. Real compassion would see us implementing the solutions already identified and ensuring that no more children fall through the cracks of a broken system. Real compassion would see us rejecting the poisonous rhetoric that seeks to blame entire communities for the actions of individuals. Real compassion would demand justice, not vengeance.
The real reason the far right is calling for another enquiry is simple: it gives them a platform to continue spouting their racist rhetoric for another seven years. They don't want solutions – they want a perpetual grievance to weaponise. It's a calculated move to keep the focus on ethnicity rather than accountability and to ensure that their divisive narrative remains front and centre in public discourse.
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