Louise Casey criticises Tories for politicising her grooming gangs report – UK politics live | Politics
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Key events
Kemi Badenoch is not the only party leader being accused of opportunism over grooming gangs. Rupert Lowe, who was elected as a Reform UK MP but who left the party after a bitter row with Nigel Farage, posted this on social media this morning.
I sat next to Farage in the Commons when he stated that Reform would ‘raise the money’ for a rape gang inquiry. I applauded him.
For that, I am sorry. Nothing happened. Nothing was done. Reform did nothing.
It is filthy politics, and I feel deeply ashamed for my role in it.
‘Vital’ that British steel gets Trump tariff deal after UK-US trade pact, say unions
Steel trade unions have said it is “absolutely vital” that the UK rapidly secures a deal to protect the sector from Donald Trump’s tariffs, after the industry was excluded from an initial UK-US pact signed last night, Julia Kollewe and Jasper Jolly report.
Here are some pictures of Keir Starmer at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, yesterday (where many of the events happened late evening or overnight UK time).
Donald Trump holding the US-UK trade agreement he finalised with Keir Starmer. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/ReutersStarmer picking up some of the sheets of paper with the text of the agreement, after they were dropped by Trump. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/APLeft to right: Trump, Starmer and Germany’s chancellor heading for the ‘family photo’. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/APTrump and Starmer. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/PA
Minister says UK still hoping to reduce US tariffs on steel, after Trump/Starmer trade deal leaves this unresolved
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump signed off a UK-US trade deal at the G7 summit in Canada, with the US president saying Britain would have protection against future tariffs “because I like them”, Peter Walker reports.
Under the deal, the UK aerospace sector avoids all US tariffs, and the car industry faces tariffs of 10%, down from 25%.
But the steel industy still faces tariffs of 25%.
Speaking about the deal on BBC Breakfast this morning, Heidi Alexander, the transport secrtary, said:
We’re working through some technical detail around steel because we want to bring that 25% tariff that applies at the moment obviously down further.
But I think the fact that we’re in this unique position, we’re the only country in the world to have already got a trade agreement with the US.
We are working on getting that implemented. We’ve made some progress on car manufacturing, which is going to be really important for companies such as Jaguar Land Rover based in Solihull.
Also on aerospace, as you will have heard, really important for companies like Rolls-Royce, and we’re determined to go further and we’ll be working on those issues around steel in the coming days, weeks and months.
Louise Casey criticises Tories for politicising her grooming gangs report
Good morning. After the Home Office yesterday published Louise Casey’s audit of the grooming gang scandal, none of the political parties at Westminster seriously challenged any of her conclusions, or recommendations. But, of course, that does not mean there was consensus. As reported here yesterday, an almighty blame game commenced (or resumed, to be more accurate).
In an interview on Newsnight last night, Casey said she was “disappointed” by the way her report was being politicised and criticised the Conservatives in particular.
Asked what she felt about the “politicisation” of her report, Casey replied:
I’m disappointed by it, to put it mildly.
I really hoped – and hope still – that the report is so clear, it’s so straightforward. We need to change some laws. We need to do a national criminal investigation. We need to get on with the national inquiry with local footprint in it. And ideally, wouldn’t it be great if everybody came behind that and just backed it and got on with it?
Asked what she felt about the proceedings in the Commons yesterday, Casey said:
I just felt, dare I say it, I felt the opposition could have just been a bit, ‘Yes, we will all come together behind you.’ Maybe there’s still time to do that. I think it’s just so important that they do.
It almost doesn’t matter right now, does it, what political party people are part of. We’ve identified there’s a problem, it’s been a problem there a long time, and it’s about time we drew a line in the sand.
There does not seem much chance that Kemi Badenoch will take any notice. She has scheduled a press conference today and, judging by her X feed last night, she intends to celebrate what she perceives as a victory for her campaigning. The 10 most recent posts on her feed are either tweets or retweets about the grooming gang scandal. This is the one she has pinned.
This national inquiry is a hard-won victory for the brave survivors who refused to be silenced — who gave up their anonymity to expose the institutions that failed them.
Labour fought it every step of the way. They voted against it. Mocked campaigners. Smeared them. Branded it a “far-right bandwagon” and a “dog whistle.”
Now they’re pretending they supported it all along? Disgraceful. Their hand was forced.
Our job now is to make sure this inquiry delivers justice for every survivor. No more delays.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister, chairs cabinet. Keir Starmer is still in Canada at the G7 summit.
10.30am: Louise Casey, the crossbench peer and former civil servant, gives evidence to the Commons home affairs committee about her grooming gangs report published yesterday.
11am: Kemi Badenoch holds a press conference.
Noon: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
1pm: John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, gives a speech on independence at the Scotland 2050 conference in Edinburgh. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, is speaking at 2.10pm.
Early afternoon (UK time): Starmer takes questions from British print journalists and broadcasters at the G7 summit.
Late afternoon: MPs debate amendments to the crime and policing bill relating to abortion. They will vote at 7pm.
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