Grooming gangs Minister Jess Phillips branded 'complete disgrace' and told 'resign now!'

Home Office Minister Jess Phillips has been branded "a complete disgrace" and told she must resign over her handling of the grooming gangs inquiry. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss claimed Ms Phillips had "appeased Islamists". And Ms Truss claimed local councils, the police and the Home Office must take some of the blame for failing to stop the horrific abuse of girls.

She spoke out after four women quit the official grooming inquiry's victims and survivors panel amid claims the Government is trying to "dilute the focus" of the inquiry by widening its scope.

The former Prime Minister pointed out that Ms Truss faced a threat from independent candidates in her Birmingham Yardley constituency. In the 2024 general election Ms Phillips' majority was re-elected with a majority of just 693 with a candidate from the Workers Party of Britain, led by George Galloway, coming second. The Workers Party highlighted the war in Gaza as a key issue and four independent candidates who ran similar campaigns succeeded in unseating Labour MPs in other parts of the country.

Ms Truss said: "Jess Phillips is a complete disgrace.

"She has appeased Islamists, essentially for her own political reasons. We can see that in her Birmingham constituency.

"And she has also lost he trust of the victims of the grooming gangs.

"She has said some absolutely terrible things. Of course she should go."

But Ms Truss added: "She's not the only problem. It's clear that local authorities, the police, possibly the Home Office were complicit in what happened.

"And that is why ... I don't think it's just the Labour party. I do think they are beholden to the votes of people pushing the Islamist agenda, I think that is a big problem, but I don't think it's just them. I think it's the state itself who have covered it up. it's absolutely horrendous."

A national inquiry into the sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs was announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June. It was to be guided by a panel of around 20 abuse survivors but five of these have quit, citing concerns about the inquiry being widened beyond grooming gangs, controls on who they can speak to, and potential inquiry chairs having links to the police and social services.

Four of the women who quit have said they would be prepared to return if safeguarding minister Ms Phillips resigns, while five of those still on the advisory panel have said they would only stay if she remains in post.

Sir Keir has backed Ms Phillips. He said last week: "The most important thing in relation to the grooming gangs is that we have the national inquiry and that absolutely gets to the truth and to justice."

Asked if he has faith in the minister, the Prime Minister told BBC South East: "Yes, of course, I do.

"Jess has been working on issues involving violence against women and girls for many, many years."

Meanwhile, the Government has admitted it could take "months" to find a chair for inquiry, with no candidates currently in the running after former police officer Jim Gamble and Annie Hudson, a former director of children's services for Lambeth, both withdrew.