Keighley and Ilkley MP calls for safeguarding minister to resign
"Our ‘so-called’ Minister for Safeguarding & Violence Against Women & Girls, Jess Phillips should resign now." – Robbie Moore
THE LEAD 📰
Keighley and Ilkley MP calls for safeguarding minister to resign and attacks Labour over grooming gangs inquiry furore
Robbie Moore has called for Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, to resign in response to the recent furore over whether or not there should be a national inquiry into grooming gangs.
Writing on Facebook and in response to a linked GB News story that stated that Philips had rejected a call for a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham in October, he shifted his focus to the Labour Party more generally, describing them “an absolute disgrace”.
This is despite the fact that the Conservative Party, when it was in government, also rejected calls for a public inquiry in 2022 when Amanda Solloway, in response to a request from Oldham Council, responded that “the government continues to be clear that it is for the local authorities in individual towns and cities, which are responsible for delivering local services, to commission local inquiries”.
“[Labour are] more interested in protecting their votes than protecting the most vulnerable,” Moore claimed. “Afraid to tackle the difficult and horrific issues. I will not stop calling for a grooming gangs inquiry across the Bradford District.”
Appearing on GB News on Monday 6 January, a news channel that is often described as a right-leaning broadcaster (which received a £100,000 financial penalty from Ofcom for “breaking due impartiality rules), Moore followed up his posts on social media by saying that he was “incredibly frustrated that it has taken so long to get this amount of national attention”.
“I have very robustly since being elected in 2019 called this issue out exactly for what it is, a minority of Pakistani Muslim men that have been specifically targeting young children for far too long.
“It was Ann Cryer, who was previously a Labour MP for Keighley, who called this issue out decades ago and consistently the British state has failed many of those families, many of those victims, many of those survivors for far too long and we now need to get to grips with this issue.
“And that’s why we specifically need that absolutely detailed, dedicated national inquiry that focuses on areas like the Bradford district that I’ve been campaigning on since 2019, to have that level of scrutiny, to deal with the complexities around ethnicity, that looks at the challenges associated when it is a minority of Pakistani men that have been targeting young children.”
Professor Alexis Jay, formerly the chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which delivered a detailed report in 2022 on child sexual exploitation, recently rejected calls for a new national inquiry.
"We've had enough of inquiries, consultations and discussions, especially for the victims and survivors who've had the courage to come forward," she told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
“They clearly want action, and we have set out what action is required, and people should just get on with it locally and nationally.”
She has previously expressed her frustration at the lack of action that has been taken. In 2023, she told the BBC that the then Conservative government had failed to action any of the recommendations made in the report.
“They need to just get on and do it,” she said at the time. “I and so many others, including victims, have spent eight years of our lives trying to ensure that children will be made safer in this country and what could be more important than that? This just isn't good enough.”
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Moore went on to say that while “rape gangs and the grooming of children has haunted Keighley and the wider Bradford district for decades”, he believes that local leaders have failed to act.
“The national IICSA report, which the Home Secretary is treating as a silver bullet, was not an inquiry into rape gangs,” he added. “Nor does it reference Keighley or Bradford once, despite many, including me, fearing that the scale of this issue across the Bradford district will dwarf the scale of the issue in Rotherham.
“If the home secretary believes that the IICSA report gives us all the information that we need to tackle this vile and disgusting crime, can she tell me how many children across the Bradford district have been abused through child sexual exploitation? Who are the perpetrators, and when can my constituents expect to see them behind bars or deported?”
Speaking in 2021 and quoted by the Yorkshire Post, Susan Hinchcliffe, Labour councillor and leader of Bradford Council, said: “Bradford has been consistent in the view that a local public enquiry would not be of additional value. We do not believe it would deliver any new learning over and above the many reports we’ve already produced on the subject.”
NEWS IN BRIEF 🚨
Ilkley Town Council says no to buying former tip
The future of the discontinued Golden Butts Household Waste Recycling Centre remains uncertain after Ilkley Town Council rejected a proposal to buy the site.
Labour councillors Linda Brown, Jane Gibson, Karl Milner and Amanda Simmods, Green Party councillor David Hesmondhalgh, Liberal Democrat councillor Pauline Allon and Ilkley Community Alliance councillor Damian Kearns voted against.
In favour were Conservative councillors Steve Butler, Catherine Cheater, Andrew Loy, David Nunns and Sean Spence.
Writing on Facebook, Ilkley & Ben Rhydding Conservative District Councillors said: “The main justification given by those who voted against rested on a rather specious and selective interpretation of a legal opinion the Town Council had received – despite the barrister saying he thought it would be legally possible for a town or parish council to operate its own waste/recycling site (while acknowledging it would be difficult).
“It is always possible to find any number of reasons not to do something, but we were willing to do everything we could to make this work – as we believe the residents of Ilkley would expect of their councillors. Tonight’s decision frankly feels like a betrayal of the residents’ trust.”
West Yorkshire residents invited to have their say on WYCA’s draft budget
Residents in West Yorkshire have been asked to scrutinise the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's (WYCA) draft budget for the upcoming year to help inform how it spends its money.
The upcoming budget is seen as being of critical importance, as it comes at a challenging time for public sector finances, the WYCA explained.
Funding is split in two. There’s revenue funding, which goes on day-to-day operations and project delivery, and there’s capital funding, which is allocated to longer-term projects.
“I’m on a growth mission in West Yorkshire to ensure that everyone can get in and get on with more money in their pocket which is why I set out my ambition in the local growth plan,” said mayor Tracy Brabin.
“But with ambition comes a challenge, and it’s the impact it has on people’s lives that matters, which is why it is so important to have your say on this budget.
“I’d encourage everyone to tell us what you want to see for the region so we can work to deliver a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
The deadline for the survey is Sunday 12 January 2025.
Ilkley Town Council launches new award to celebrate local heroes
Locals have been invited to nominate individuals for a new Citizen Award Scheme in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding.
Announced by Ilkley Town Council, the scheme aims to shine a spotlight on local heroes “who make a real difference to our community”.
“We’re so proud to introduce this scheme,” said Labour councillor and deputy mayor of Ilkley Town Council, Jane Gibson.
“Ilkley is full of people who are always willing to lend a hand, give their time, and show compassion, but often their hard work and selflessness go unrecognised. We wanted to create a formal way of celebrating these unsung heroes, and we hope the awards will inspire others to get involved in making Ilkley an even better place for all.”
Categories include Voluntary Organisation Volunteer of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year, Environmental Champion and Outstanding Citizen Award.
The deadline for nominations is Friday 31 January. Winners of the award will receive a special award at the annual town meeting in March.
Backstone Beck footbridge replaced
The wooden footbridge over Backstone Beck has been replaced by Bradford Council, the Friends of Ilkley Moor has announced.
Metal beams with wooden supports have been added, with Friends of Ilkley Moor volunteers also restoring the footpath and steps leading up to and from either side of the bridge.
“Some of the volunteers have also been busy carrying out an assessment of the environmental benefits of the moor and where they could be improved in the future,” the charity added.
“This entails visiting 70 random points on the moor looking at soil type and depth, vegetation type, archaeological features and erosion risk. The assessment will be repeated at different points for the following two years.”
To attack Jess Phillips is very poor politics. Let’s get on with acting on the recommendations of the previous enquiry and not kicking the can down the road.