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  • 6/16/2025
Sir Keir Starmer has faced a grilling om whether he "owes the public an apology" after reversing his position on holding a national inquiry into grooming gangs.The Prime Minister had stated in January that a nationwide inquiry wasn't necessary, but has now changed his stance.When directly asked "do you?" owe an apology, the Prime Minister did not offer one, instead launching into an explanation of his decision-making process. He explained that he had initially believed existing inquiry recommendations should be implemented rather than launching a new investigation.However, he commissioned Louise Casey to conduct an audit to check if anything had been missed."She's carried out that audit. She's presented that to me. I've read it in full and on the basis of what she's found. She says there should be a national inquiry," Starmer said."I've looked at her report. I've considered that material. I think she's right. And that's why there'll be a national inquiry. It'll be a statutory inquiry. It'll go wherever it needs to go."WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MORE

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00:00Grooming gangs. You said in January a nationwide inquiry into grooming gangs wasn't necessary.
00:05You've changed your position. Opposition politicians are very critical of you for, in their words,
00:10dragging your heels, and they say you owe the public an apology, do you?
00:15Well, grooming is a vile offence, absolutely vile, and I brought the first prosecution
00:21when I was chief prosecutor really 15 years ago now, so I've seen the impact directly on victims.
00:27There have been a number of inquiries with very many recommendations.
00:31I took the view that we should implement those recommendations because they've been sitting on a shelf,
00:36vitally important we do, for things like mandatory reporting, which we've already brought into place.
00:41But as a safeguard, I asked Louise Casey to look again, do an audit, to see if there's anything that had been missed.
00:48She's carried out that audit. She's presented that to me. I've read it in full.
00:52And on the basis of what she's found, she says there should be a national inquiry.
00:57I've looked at her report. I've considered that material. I think she's right, and that's why there'll be a national inquiry.
01:04It'll be a statutory inquiry. It'll go wherever it needs to go.
01:08So that's the position I've taken.
01:10From the position I was in 15 years ago to the position I'm in now, my focus is on the victims of this vile offence.
01:17And having asked Louise Casey to do that review, she's come up with a recommendation.
01:22I've now accepted it.
01:24OK, Prime Minister, thank you so much.

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