On January 8, 2025, the House of Commons held a significant vote on an amendment calling for a national inquiry into grooming gangs. The amendment, put forward by Conservative MPs, was rejected by 364 votes to 111, with a majority of 253 against the proposal.
The three Southampton MPs’ voted as follows:
- Satvir Kaur (Labour, Southampton Test) voted AGAINST the amendment
- Darren Paffey (Labour, Southampton Itchen) voted AGAINSTthe amendment
- Caroline Nokes (Conservative, Romsey and Southampton North) was among the Conservative MPs who voted IN FAVOUR of the amendment
The vote generated significant controversy and debate. The Labour government argued that a new inquiry would delay crucial child protection measures already in place. The government’s position was that they preferred to focus on immediate action rather than another investigation.
In the aftermath of the vote, there was considerable public discussion and media attention. Two-thirds of Labour voters reportedly disagreed with their party’s position, indicating they would have supported a new public inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.
The government defended its current approach by pointing to existing measures, including the grooming gangs taskforce, which had led to 550 arrests of perpetrators in its first year. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) also contributed to the debate by stating that the vast majority of grooming gang offenses are carried out by white men, adding another dimension to the public discourse.
Some Southampton MPs faced local scrutiny over their votes, with one Southampton MP speaking out against what they called “cynical” and “grotesque” misinformation that circulated on social media following the vote.
Whilst public opinion as backed by a YouGov survey seems to be that there is a cover-up and the grooming gang scandal is being handled badly by the Labour Government.
