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Labour Minister's Grooming-Gangs Remark Prompts Complaints as He Backs Ethnicity Line of Inquiry

Party whips are weighing complaints over Mike Tapp's call to examine ethnicity in the grooming-gangs inquiry.

Overview

  • Tapp told GB News the inquiry should identify any link between ethnicity, race or culture and child rape, then posted the clip on X saying he was supporting Baroness Casey’s recommendation.
  • At least one Labour MP lodged a formal complaint with the whips and others expressed unease, with the whips’ office reported to be considering the matter.
  • The national inquiry’s remit includes examining ethnicity and religion, reflecting Casey’s audit, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said these factors will be investigated.
  • Critics from the left, including Zac Polanski and Zarah Sultana, condemned the comments as racist, while defenders such as ex-Tory MP Alexander Stafford argued the potential link should be tested.
  • Evidence remains mixed and limited at national level, with the Casey audit cautioning against broad conclusions and Metropolitan Police figures for early–mid 2024 recording most identified group-based offenders as white.