Last week a motion was brought to Bradford Council by the Conservative Group Leader Cllr Rebecca Poulsen, calling on all Bradford District Councillors from all political parties to support a full independent national inquiry into rape gangs and child sexual exploitation with a specific focus on Keighley and the wider Bradford District.
Labour Councillors blocked the motion and instead put forward their own mealy-mouthed words that would have no meaningful impact.
The national Labour Government are refusing to instigate a national inquiry, and now our local Labour authority is refusing to do those same.
The vote at Bradford Council all happened on exact same day that Conservative MP, Robbie Moore questioned Professor Alexis Jay in Parliament through the Home Affairs Select Committee. Professor Jay wrote the Rotherham report and she suggested one of the reasons local councils refuse to back inquiries is "..they don't want to be the next Rotherham.” “….. in other words there will be a kind of collusion not to commission such reports.”
Robbie Moore said;
These actions by our local Labour Councillors were completely indefensible. They are actively blocking further openness and transparency on this horrendous crime which continues to haunt Keighley and the wider Bradford District.
We need a full national inquiry. Bradford Council cannot be allowed to mark their own homework. This is not about party politics - it’s about the difference between right and wrong.
Today on behalf of everyone across our area, I urged Parliament to support a full inquiry into the rape gangs scandal.