Home Secretary Announces Grooming Gangs Inquiry Chair Amid Controversy
The UK Home Office has announced that former Labour peer Anne Longfield will chair a new national inquiry into grooming gangs, amidst controversy over the selection process and concerns about politics getting in the way of justice.
The long-awaited investigation is seen as a "moment of reckoning" for the nation, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood describing it as an opportunity to shine a light on "dark moments in our history." Longfield's appointment has been recommended by Louise Casey, who carried out a nationwide audit on grooming gangs earlier this year.
The inquiry will focus exclusively on grooming gangs and explore how ethnicity, religion, and cultural factors affected the authorities' response and the crimes themselves. It is expected to ask specific questions about these factors and their impact on the victims and perpetrators.
Longfield's affiliation with Labour has raised concerns from some quarters, including the survivors' panel, who accused the government of attempting to widen its remit to consider other forms of child sexual abuse. Two candidates for chair previously quit citing a lack of confidence from the survivors.
The inquiry will be led by Longfield, alongside Zoë Billingham and Eleanor Kelly, and is expected to follow evidence without shying away from difficult truths. The government has also promised to reopen previously closed investigations and seek to overturn convictions and cautions used against exploited girls.
Critics have warned that the inquiry must not be used to "marginalise or demonise entire communities of law-abiding citizens," while others have praised Longfield's commitment to exploring difficult issues, including culture drivers of offending and the ethnicity of perpetrators.
The inquiry is expected to examine systemic, institutional, and individual failings at local and national level in relation to group-based child sexual exploitation perpetrated by grooming gangs. The final terms of reference will be agreed with the Home Secretary and published in March 2026.
As the investigation gets underway, survivors are urging Longfield and her panel to listen to their voices and not shy away from uncomfortable truths. "We know that every survivor is different," they said. "You each have your own story, and of course, your own views and opinions. Therefore, we know that every survivor may not always agree with every decision you make."
The inquiry marks a significant step forward in the government's efforts to tackle grooming gangs, but critics say more needs to be done to address the systemic failings that led to these crimes in the first place.
The UK Home Office has announced that former Labour peer Anne Longfield will chair a new national inquiry into grooming gangs, amidst controversy over the selection process and concerns about politics getting in the way of justice.
The long-awaited investigation is seen as a "moment of reckoning" for the nation, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood describing it as an opportunity to shine a light on "dark moments in our history." Longfield's appointment has been recommended by Louise Casey, who carried out a nationwide audit on grooming gangs earlier this year.
The inquiry will focus exclusively on grooming gangs and explore how ethnicity, religion, and cultural factors affected the authorities' response and the crimes themselves. It is expected to ask specific questions about these factors and their impact on the victims and perpetrators.
Longfield's affiliation with Labour has raised concerns from some quarters, including the survivors' panel, who accused the government of attempting to widen its remit to consider other forms of child sexual abuse. Two candidates for chair previously quit citing a lack of confidence from the survivors.
The inquiry will be led by Longfield, alongside Zoë Billingham and Eleanor Kelly, and is expected to follow evidence without shying away from difficult truths. The government has also promised to reopen previously closed investigations and seek to overturn convictions and cautions used against exploited girls.
Critics have warned that the inquiry must not be used to "marginalise or demonise entire communities of law-abiding citizens," while others have praised Longfield's commitment to exploring difficult issues, including culture drivers of offending and the ethnicity of perpetrators.
The inquiry is expected to examine systemic, institutional, and individual failings at local and national level in relation to group-based child sexual exploitation perpetrated by grooming gangs. The final terms of reference will be agreed with the Home Secretary and published in March 2026.
As the investigation gets underway, survivors are urging Longfield and her panel to listen to their voices and not shy away from uncomfortable truths. "We know that every survivor is different," they said. "You each have your own story, and of course, your own views and opinions. Therefore, we know that every survivor may not always agree with every decision you make."
The inquiry marks a significant step forward in the government's efforts to tackle grooming gangs, but critics say more needs to be done to address the systemic failings that led to these crimes in the first place.
This whole thing is quite a mess, innit? The government's trying to do the right thing by launching an inquiry into grooming gangs, but they're doing it all over again with Anne Longfield at the helm. I mean, Louise Casey's audit was supposed to be a good starting point, but now they're bringing in a Labour peer who might have some biases? 
And what about the controversy surrounding her appointment? It's like they're trying to stick their head in the sand and hope everything goes away.
Can't we just have some proper experts who aren't tied to one party or the other?
It's all well and good that Longfield's promised to listen to their voices, but I'm not convinced yet.
. The fact that Longfield's affiliation with Labour has raised eyebrows from some quarters is a huge red flag 
. What's more concerning is that we're talking about a highly sensitive topic here, and we can't afford to have it watered down or politicized by the government.
. And let's not forget, critics are right when they say we can't marginalize or demonize entire communities of law-abiding citizens - we need to approach this with empathy and understanding, not fear-mongering.
.
! A new inquiry, yeah yeah, we've heard it all before... But seriously, what's taking them so long? These grooming gangs have been around for years, and it's like they're just now finally deciding to do something about it. And who do they appoint to lead the charge? A Labour peer 
? I mean, I get that we need to listen to survivors' voices and all that, but can't they just pick someone neutral for once?
this inquiry needs to focus on finding solutions rather than just highlighting problems 
anne longfield is like, super cool and all about shedding light on those dark moments in our history. i know there's been some controversy around her appointment but imo she's got the skills to lead this investigation and make sure we learn from the past. 
it's so important that we explore how ethnicity, religion, and culture factors affected the authorities' response and the crimes themselves. survivors voices matter SO much in this inquiry and i hope longfield and her panel will listen carefully 
. let's do this! 
. I hope it gets to the bottom of what went wrong and makes sure those responsible are held accountable 
. And yay for survivors having a voice in the process - it's all about listening and making things better 
!
they're trying to say it's not about one specific community or culture, but let's be real, we've seen where this kind of rhetoric takes us before... 
it's like they're trying to rewrite history instead of confronting the real issues. 
and now we got Anne Longfield, a Labour peer, at the helm? it just feels like more politics getting in the way of justice... 
This new inquiry is like 
and confront the truth 
. I'm all for it, even if Anne Longfield's appointment has some people feeling 
and not shy away from uncomfortable truths 
Let's focus on understanding how ethnicity, religion, and culture played a role in the authorities' response 
and the crimes themselves 
. The government's promise to reopen closed investigations is a big deal 
.
Criticisms of marginalising communities are valid 
, but we can't just sit back and do nothing 
️. This inquiry is a step in the right direction 
, even if there's still more work to be done 
. Let's keep the conversation going 
and hope for justice for all victims 
.
! A national inquiry like this has been a long time coming, and I'm glad someone's finally taking on this tough topic. It's not going to be easy, but if Anne Longfield and her team are willing to listen to the survivors and explore all the complexities of it, I think we might just learn some valuable lessons 
I'm not saying Anne Longfield's not a good person, but come on... shouldn't we be looking for people from more diverse backgrounds to represent our nation? 
. I mean, who are they to dictate what constitutes "dark moments in our history"? It's like trying to solve a puzzle with one piece missing. Anne Longfield's got some serious baggage herself - a Labour peer? That's just gonna give the perception that this is all about politics as usual. And don't even get me started on how they're gonna marginalize or demonize entire communities of law-abiding citizens. That's just not right 
. Let's not forget, we need systemic change, not just a fancy inquiry with a bunch of talking heads.
so its finally happening, a big inquiry into grooming gangs, but like what about all those little kids who were exploited and traumatized? 