Title

POLITICS

Burnham backs 'limited' national grooming inquiry

Greater Manchester Labour mayor Andy Burnham has voiced his support for a ‘limited’ national inquiry into child grooming gangs.

Mayor Andy Burnham © Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Mayor Andy Burnham © Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Greater Manchester Labour mayor Andy Burnham has voiced his support for a ‘limited' national inquiry into child grooming gangs.

The mayor said a national inquiry would be able to ‘compel' people to give evidence in abuse investigations, something that reviews into abuse in Manchester, Rochdale and Oldham were unable to do.

Mayor Burnham's comments follow the defeat of a Conservative amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill that proposed the establishment of a national abuse inquiry.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Government was focused on delivering the reforms in the 2022 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and that a new probe would only delay the action victims wanted.

 

 

POLITICS

Is public service delivery really dead?

By Ben Page | 22 July 2026

Performance alone does not win public trust. While better outcomes matter, public opinion is shaped much more by how services are experienced, communicated a...

POLITICS

Burnham promises to give councils more powers as Rayner returns to replace Reed

By Neil Merrick | 20 July 2026

Andy Burnham has promised to give councils greater powers to tackle problems such as rough sleeping and social care while moving decision-making away from Wh...

POLITICS

Burnham urged to give greater fiscal responsibility to regions

By Joe Lepper | 16 July 2026

Mayors should be given a 2.5p share of income tax to spend in their area, according to a moderate conservatives’ organisation led by former West Midlands may...

POLITICS

Street: Fiscal devolution is next breakthrough

By Joe Lepper | 13 July 2026

Fiscal devolution for the regions should be a priority of Andy Burnham’s first Budget, according to former West Midlands mayor Andy Street.

Popular articles by William Eichler