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Labour Under Fire as Grooming Survivors Condemn Minister’s ‘Dog Whistle’ Remark
Labour Under Fire as Grooming Survivors Condemn Minister’s ‘Dog Whistle’ Remark Survivors of grooming gang abuse have fiercely criticised Labour frontbencher Lucy Powell after she referred to the scandal as a “dog whistle” issue during a BBC Radio 4 broadcast. Her comments have sparked widespread anger from victims, campaigners, and political opponents, with many accusing her of trivialising a deeply traumatic and ongoing national issue. Sarah Wilson, who was abused from the age of 11 by gangs in Rotherham and has since become a prominent campaigner, expressed her deep disappointment with Powell’s remarks. “This is what victims and survivors have been up against all these years. This is why we weren’t listened to. They never cared, and they never will. [They] totally dismissed survivors and our experiences of being groomed,” Wilson wrote in response to a video clip shared online. Former senior Labour adviser Tom Baldwin and Commentator and Reform UK supporter Tim Montgomerie discuss the reaction to senior minister Lucy Powell calling for grooming gang inquiries a "dog whistle" The controversy began when Powell, MP for Manchester Central, responded dismissively to a question posed by Reform UK supporter Tim Montgomerie on Any Questions, in which he asked about her views on a Channel 4 documentary about rape gangs. Interrupting, Powell retorted: “Oh, we want to blow that little trumpet now, do we? Yeah, OK, let’s get that dog whistle out.” Her comments were met with immediate backlash. Scarlett, a 20-year-old grooming survivor from Greater Manchester who featured in the documentary, and her father Marlon, said they felt retraumatised. “Scarlett and I, who shared our story in the documentary despite the emotional challenges, are outraged by Lucy Powell,” Marlon said. “We feel abused and disrespected once again, and we did not anticipate this kind of treatment from our government leaders. You have used us as a political tool for an excuse to be critical towards Conservatives rather than supporting a public inquiry. You should be ashamed.” Despite mounting pressure and calls for her resignation, including from within her own party, Powell will remain in post as Leader of the House of Commons. Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed on Sunday that she would not be stepping down, saying: “Yes. I think she made a genuine mistake, she’s owned up to it, she said sorry and we’ll move on.” He added that Powell was “mortified” by the reaction and deeply regretted her words. Powell released a statement on Saturday night attempting to clarify her position. “I would like to clarify that I regard issues of child exploitation and grooming with the utmost seriousness. I’m sorry if this was unclear. I was challenging the political point scoring around it, not the issue itself. As a constituency MP, I’ve dealt with horrendous cases,” she said. A source close to Powell also stated that she had privately reached out to victims in Manchester to offer support and would continue to engage with them. Nonetheless, criticism continued to mount from both within and outside the Labour Party. One Labour peer told The Telegraph, “Most people I’ve spoken to think she should be sacked. Nobody expects her to survive this, and nor should she. It’s outrageous.” Labour’s handling of grooming gang scandals has also come under renewed scrutiny. The party recently dropped its plan for five specific local inquiries in favour of a more “flexible approach,” allowing councils to determine how to address the issue. This could include full inquiries, but may also involve victim panels or internal audits. Meanwhile, the Government is awaiting the results of an audit led by Baroness Casey into the scale and nature of grooming and the demographic profile of the perpetrators. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government has committed to further action, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has so far resisted calls for a national statutory inquiry, despite support for one from senior Labour figures such as Andy Burnham and Dan Carden. For many survivors, Powell’s remarks represent a painful reminder of past failures. The reaction underscores the lasting wounds of institutional inaction and the sensitivity surrounding a scandal that continues to reverberate across the country. Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph 2025-05-05 -
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Farage’s Political Earthquake Begins to Rattle Britain’s Foundations
Thanks for the update, it was 65k prior to this years increase, it has never been imaginary as your prior post stated, nor do you have any right to bring a foreign wife to the UK, they can indeed stop you. -
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"No One is Prepared for What’s Happening in CANADA... | Victor Davis Hanson"
Same for every western country. -
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Pick up trucks with heavy exhaust smokes
If only Thailand had a police force! I bet the number of deaths from pollution dwarfs Covid & daily accident figures. -
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U.S. measles outbreak headed toward worst in 25 years, most infected are unvaccinated
You can indeed show him 'something' using an electron mircroscope and call that something a 'virus'. But what he is contesting is whether what you are seeing is a pathogenic living organism.
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