Every police officer, councillor, and MP who knew but did nothing should face charges of malfeasance in public office (or aiding and abetting or obsriuction of justice). We need a task force - not an enquiry - to list everyone who was part of either a cover up or deliberately looking away. Prosecutions may fail - the establishment will close ranks - but there is some justice in simply putting these people through a trial.
Good points, but slight disagreement - I think we need more wide-ranging laws to cover more than just those you name, which is what I was hoping to do with the RICO laws - and the example of the Chief Exec. And really I want the enquiry in order to name and shame, in a way I wasn't sure a task force would. I think it should all be out in the open as much as possible...
I agree it should be fully open. But an enquiry - expensive, lasting years - would have its terms set by the establishment and presided over by a lackey. It would be an exercise in excluding evidence as with the Covid enquiry. We need to identify every public office holder - police, councillors, MPs - who knew or can reasonably be expected to have known what was going on.
Very fine article, and some very interesting proposals - thank you.
I think this works on many different levels. At the micro scale, the "public servant" who chose the easier route; often, as you say, for very good reasons. This type of investigation is detailed, complex, and granular. There are no easy answers as to what should have been done by a rookie social worker or a junior council official worried about their pension.
At the other extreme, things are much simpler. Why did politicians gaslight us by saying that enforced mass immigration brought nothing but benefit? And it's simpler because it is still going on: why does the current government persist with this tactic? Let's wheel out Starmer, Phillips, Streeting, and a slew of MPs and ask them.
Thank you. The good people forced, unwillingly, to keep quiet by this system must be treated differently. And as you say, particularly true for new workers coming into rotten and corrupt institutions where cover-ups were already instituted.
I have no ability to gage the number of people who are glued to 'X' watching this train crash happening in real time. This contribution to the ongoing national emergency is perceptive and dare I say it vital. The drawing the similarity to how the French government responded and the RICO legislation is brilliant. I hope that your contribution will get national coverage.
Very interesting and potentially effective set of proposals. Especially for civil servants and government employees, who have been allowed to get away with this under the cloak of anonymity, and across multiple governments of all shades. But without the underlying "federal" legal infrastructure that the US has, how enforceable could this be here in the UK, particularly given that most of the problems are on a Local Government level?
You can just introduce the laws in Westminster and implement them out in the regions, in that sense I suppose all our laws are 'federal'! But would require Govt to bring it in, of course...
Why are you amplifying Elon Musk? There have been investigations into all grooming gangs—whether internal or external. Recommendations have been made and acted upon. Are you upset about this event (report into West Midlands child sex abuse ring not being published) or cases in Wales or Cornwall? I guess not, since those involved were white British people.
It was the Tory party (the one you support) that decided there was no need for further inquiries, and the Labour Party agreed for the same reason: no additional inquiries were necessary.
As for the claim that Keir Starmer is responsible: are you aware that he would only have been involved if cases reached the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)? That only happens after the police make arrests—and in many instances, it was the police who seemed reluctant to act. Under Starmer as Director of Public Prosecutions, there were 56 grooming convictions in 14 trials. Before that, there were only 3 convictions in 11 years.
Additionally, you haven’t commented on how the Tory party has underfunded social services for years. This chronic underfunding has left Child Care Protection Officers with unmanageable caseloads, severely limiting their ability to protect vulnerable children.
2: whilst recommendations have been made, they have not entirely been acted upon. As as I state in the article the point of this inquiry would be to name names, not a repetition of previous inquiries.
3: when did we decide we'd had enough inquiries?
4: why does it hold that because I support a party I have to agree with every policy, proposal and decision? I do not.
5: yes I am aware. So is Maggie Oliver, who has claimed he is 'as responsible as anyone'
6: social services were underfunded well before the Tories came back in. Regardless, austerity did not cause rape gangs, nor did it cause public institutions to cover up rape gangs. That is complete and total nonsense. These gangs and cover ups were happening from the 1970s.
Every police officer, councillor, and MP who knew but did nothing should face charges of malfeasance in public office (or aiding and abetting or obsriuction of justice). We need a task force - not an enquiry - to list everyone who was part of either a cover up or deliberately looking away. Prosecutions may fail - the establishment will close ranks - but there is some justice in simply putting these people through a trial.
Good points, but slight disagreement - I think we need more wide-ranging laws to cover more than just those you name, which is what I was hoping to do with the RICO laws - and the example of the Chief Exec. And really I want the enquiry in order to name and shame, in a way I wasn't sure a task force would. I think it should all be out in the open as much as possible...
I agree it should be fully open. But an enquiry - expensive, lasting years - would have its terms set by the establishment and presided over by a lackey. It would be an exercise in excluding evidence as with the Covid enquiry. We need to identify every public office holder - police, councillors, MPs - who knew or can reasonably be expected to have known what was going on.
Fighting talk, which is what we need right now, but we must as you say do much more than just talk.
Am trying to put together a few pieces advancing this. TY!
Very fine article, and some very interesting proposals - thank you.
I think this works on many different levels. At the micro scale, the "public servant" who chose the easier route; often, as you say, for very good reasons. This type of investigation is detailed, complex, and granular. There are no easy answers as to what should have been done by a rookie social worker or a junior council official worried about their pension.
At the other extreme, things are much simpler. Why did politicians gaslight us by saying that enforced mass immigration brought nothing but benefit? And it's simpler because it is still going on: why does the current government persist with this tactic? Let's wheel out Starmer, Phillips, Streeting, and a slew of MPs and ask them.
Thank you. The good people forced, unwillingly, to keep quiet by this system must be treated differently. And as you say, particularly true for new workers coming into rotten and corrupt institutions where cover-ups were already instituted.
I have no ability to gage the number of people who are glued to 'X' watching this train crash happening in real time. This contribution to the ongoing national emergency is perceptive and dare I say it vital. The drawing the similarity to how the French government responded and the RICO legislation is brilliant. I hope that your contribution will get national coverage.
Frankly, the more the better. A national indignity that must be addressed.
Very interesting and potentially effective set of proposals. Especially for civil servants and government employees, who have been allowed to get away with this under the cloak of anonymity, and across multiple governments of all shades. But without the underlying "federal" legal infrastructure that the US has, how enforceable could this be here in the UK, particularly given that most of the problems are on a Local Government level?
You can just introduce the laws in Westminster and implement them out in the regions, in that sense I suppose all our laws are 'federal'! But would require Govt to bring it in, of course...
Why are you amplifying Elon Musk? There have been investigations into all grooming gangs—whether internal or external. Recommendations have been made and acted upon. Are you upset about this event (report into West Midlands child sex abuse ring not being published) or cases in Wales or Cornwall? I guess not, since those involved were white British people.
It was the Tory party (the one you support) that decided there was no need for further inquiries, and the Labour Party agreed for the same reason: no additional inquiries were necessary.
As for the claim that Keir Starmer is responsible: are you aware that he would only have been involved if cases reached the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)? That only happens after the police make arrests—and in many instances, it was the police who seemed reluctant to act. Under Starmer as Director of Public Prosecutions, there were 56 grooming convictions in 14 trials. Before that, there were only 3 convictions in 11 years.
Additionally, you haven’t commented on how the Tory party has underfunded social services for years. This chronic underfunding has left Child Care Protection Officers with unmanageable caseloads, severely limiting their ability to protect vulnerable children.
1: this article does not mention Elon Musk.
2: whilst recommendations have been made, they have not entirely been acted upon. As as I state in the article the point of this inquiry would be to name names, not a repetition of previous inquiries.
3: when did we decide we'd had enough inquiries?
4: why does it hold that because I support a party I have to agree with every policy, proposal and decision? I do not.
5: yes I am aware. So is Maggie Oliver, who has claimed he is 'as responsible as anyone'
6: social services were underfunded well before the Tories came back in. Regardless, austerity did not cause rape gangs, nor did it cause public institutions to cover up rape gangs. That is complete and total nonsense. These gangs and cover ups were happening from the 1970s.