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British legislators voted on Wednesday against launching a nationwide investigation into the British grooming gang scandal after objections to the way the vote was conducted – and amid international scrutiny of the Elon Musk-led crisis.
The House of Commons voted on an amendment to launch a statutory investigation into the scandal, which revealed that men of predominantly Pakistani descent had sexually abused girls in towns in northern England for years.
The measure was an amendment to a Labor government-backed child and school welfare bill. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that a vote for the amendment would kill the entire bill to which it was attached. The amendment was defeated in the Labor-controlled chamber by 364 votes to 111, Sky News reported.
British Prime Minister STARMER defends himself against Musk’s attacks on child grooming gangs
“What we need now is action. What cannot be tolerated is the idea of MPs voting against a child protection bill this afternoon,” Starmer said before the vote, calling it a “destructive amendment.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses members at the Labor Party conference in Liverpool, England, on Tuesday. (AP)
Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch fought back.
“Be a leader, not a lawyer,” she told him, saying a new investigation should examine interrelated issues between the cities.
“The reason a national investigation is important is because this is a systemic problem,” she said, involving “local and national officials, police, prosecutors and politicians.”
“These interrelated issues cannot be addressed through local investigations alone,” she said.
Previous reports had found evidence of “appalling” abuse, with more than 1,400 girls abused in Rotherham alone between 1997 and 2013. Authorities were also reportedly afraid of inciting racism when dealing with the crimes, given the ethnic makeup of the perpetrators. The scandal sparked growing concerns about multiculturalism and mass immigration.
The issue came back into the spotlight recently after local officials in Oldham called on the government to launch a national inquiry into the town’s handling of the crisis. A 2022 report found that children had been abandoned by officials but found no cover-up, despite fears that right-wing activists would capitalize on it.
ELON MUSK CALLS FOR BRITAIN TO ACT ON GANG SCANDAL AS DEMANDS GROW
The British government rejected the request on the grounds that any investigation should be organized on site. That in turn drew calls from Badenoch and others Elon Musk for a national investigation.
The Palace of Westminster, the Houses of Parliament, in the heart of London.
“Across the country, thousands of girls have been tortured and sexually abused by men who treated them as things to be used and discarded, destroying many lives forever. The Prime Minister mentioned previous investigations. “He’s right, there was an inquiry into child sexual abuse, but it wasn’t about the rape gang scandal,” Badenoch said.
Musk, who has repeatedly denounced Issue
President-elect Trump and Elon Musk attend a SpaceX Starship launch in Brownsville, Texas, on November 19, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“Please call your MP and tell them that the hundreds of thousands of little girls in Britain who have been and continue to be systematically and horrifically gang raped deserve some justice in this world,” Musk said on X on Wednesday.
“This is critically important, otherwise it will just keep happening,” he said.
Starmer had previously criticized “lies and misinformation” without directly naming Musk and accused British politicians of jumping on a “far right bandwagon”.
On Wednesday, he again accused Badenoch of jumping on a bandwagon and called on lawmakers to ensure the broader bill is passed.
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“One of the provisions of the bill is to protect out-of-school children at risk today to prevent maltreatment from ever taking these children out of school. I implore MPs to resist the misleading leadership of the Leader of the Opposition and vote for an important bill.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
