Kemi Badenoch fires back at Keir Starmer at PMQs (Image: Parliament TV)

       Voters will be concerned of a “cover up” if Keir Starmer fails to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs, Kemi Badenoch has warned.

       The Prime Minister and the Tory leader clashed at the Despatch Box during Prime Minister’s Questions today amid a row over the scandal.

       Mrs Badenoch said: “The Prime Minister called for nine inquiries in the last parliament. Does he not see that by resisting this one people will start to worry about a cover up?”

       Sir Keir Starmer answered: “This is an important issue and we have to focus on the victims and survivors and it isn't helpful, this sort of lies and misinformation and slinging of mud doesn’t help them one bit.”

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       Labour has pushed back against the deamands of the Tories and Reform for a national probe into the issue following interventions from Elon Musk.

       The tech billionaire has repeatedly slammed Sir Keir, the former director of public prosecutions, for his handling of the matter while in post.

       Labour plans to vote against a Tory amendment in the Commons today on a national probe.

       The ruling party instead says recommendations made in Professor Alexis Jay's October 2022 report should be implemented.

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       Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the Conservatives’ push for a vote that would halt progress of a Bill aimed at bolstering child safety is “absolutely sickening”.

       She said: “We are looking right across the recommendations that Alexis Jay set out and there are crucial recommendations from the review that she carried out.

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       “That’s why today we are setting out legislation that addresses many of the wider challenges that we see right across our system. It’s why the Home Secretary announced in the House of Commons the action that we are taking.

       “So we are wasting no time in legislating to keep children safe. The question for the Conservatives today is why they are intent on blocking this landmark piece of child protection legislation that would keep the very children safe that they claim they are concerned about.”

       She added: “They come along today as we set out legislation to protect the very children they claim to care about and they intend to block it and kill it stone dead. It is absolutely sickening.”