Grooming Gangs Inquiry to Focus Initially on London, Oldham, Bradford, and Keighley
London, Oldham, Bradford, and Keighley have been designated as the initial locations for investigation by the grooming gangs inquiry, according to the Press Association. The £65 million probe aims to examine how grooming gangs operated and assess the responses of police, councils, health services, social care services, and schools.
The announcement confirmed these areas will undergo so-called local investigations, triggered by identified serious failures in addressing child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs.
Former children’s commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, is leading the inquiry, which holds legal authority to compel witness testimony and require organizations to provide documents.
Any criminal evidence uncovered during the inquiry will be referred to Operation Beaconport, the national police operation initiated last year to review numerous previously closed investigations.
Nearly a Quarter of European Voters Now Support Far-Right Parties
Research indicates that nearly one in four voters across Europe now support far-right parties, a figure that has increased nearly fivefold since the mid-1990s and has risen sharply over the past three years. Jon Henley reports on this trend.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Poised to Approve Jackdaw Gas Field to Boost Burnham’s Chancellor Bid
Caroline Wheeler reports that Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is preparing to approve the application for the new Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. This move is seen as a strategic effort to strengthen Miliband’s case for becoming Andy Burnham’s chancellor.
Wheeler explains:
"[Miliband’s] determination to pursue strict net-zero targets at all costs – and his stalling of fossil fuel projects – have come under fire from the unions and business leaders.
Now allies say he is prepared to give ground and is ‘winning the argument’ to become Burnham’s chancellor.
They claim he is preparing to approve plans for the first major North Sea gas field project in almost 10 years in a bid to burnish his pro-business credentials and answer some of the concerns of the unions."
Polling Indicates Preference for Labour Leadership Contest Over Automatic Burnham Appointment
Polling conducted by Ipsos between Friday and Monday reveals that a plurality of voters prefer a Labour leadership contest rather than an automatic appointment of Andy Burnham as leader.
James Purnell Confirms Departure from Flint Global to Become Burnham’s Chief of Staff
Kitty Donaldson from the i has shared a copy of a note sent by James Purnell to staff at Flint Global, the lobbying firm where he is employed. In the note, Purnell confirms his intention to leave the firm to serve as Andy Burnham’s chief of staff at No 10.
Darren Jones Declines to Endorse Ed Miliband as Burnham’s Chancellor
In an interview with Beth Rigby from , Darren Jones discussed his recent conversation with Andy Burnham regarding economic plans. Jones, known as a fiscal hawk within Labour, expressed satisfaction with Burnham’s approach but refrained from explicitly endorsing Ed Miliband as chancellor, despite Miliband being Burnham’s likely choice.
Burnham faces pressure from the Conservative Party and right-wing media, which portray Miliband as a fiscally irresponsible figure akin to Liz Truss, a characterization Jones disputes.
Jones elaborated on concerns from some MPs about Burnham’s economic policies:
"We all want to build more council houses. We want to see more control over public utilities. We want to be able to devolve more, to get more development and investment in infrastructure in and around the country. But there is a route to doing that in line with the fiscal rules, in a way which continues economic stability as opposed to moving too quickly. And just saying you’re going to borrow lots of extra money – because the risk of doing that – borrowing isn’t free. I mean, if you just say you’re going to borrow lots of extra money, you could probably sell the debt. But it’s increasingly expensive, and it means you take money away from doctors and nurses and police officers of the armed forces in order to pay debt interest payments, predominantly now to American hedge funds."
On the possibility of increased borrowing within fiscal constraints, Jones stated:
"I think there’s room to borrow a little bit more, and there’s room to do things in a different way. So let me give you an example. We all want to see more council houses built. You could just say I’m going to borrow tens of billions of pounds, put it into Homes England will give it to councils and say build. That’s just not going to work. Because the problem is that we don’t have enough builders, we don’t have enough bricks, and we can’t plug these things into the electricity grid. So I’m all for investing into new towns and mayoral development corporations that give apprenticeship opportunities, that support British business, that can help fix our energy system. But you can do that without kind of broad brush borrowing and spending, which actually doesn’t really deliver the outcomes that you want to achieve."
Regarding Burnham’s commitment to fiscal rules, Jones commented:
"I think he does. And I think the people around him do. And I think it’s important he’s committed to those fiscal rules."
When asked if he would support Miliband as chancellor, Jones replied:
"I’m not going to get into personalities, but maybe I can answer that by saying what I think the tests are for who should be chancellor. I think the next chancellor needs to be able to have a clear view about the political economy and understand how the Treasury works. I think they need to have an important relationship with the prime minister, because, quite frankly, in many circumstances, the chancellor in the Treasury is more powerful than the prime minister in Downing Street. So you have to have someone that’s going to enable the delivery of the prime minister’s priorities and not not try to control the prime minister. And that relationship is really critical. And you also need a chancellor that can reassure the markets, reassure the trade unions and reassure the parliamentary Labour Party and by extension the public."
In response to Rigby’s suggestion that Miliband might not meet these criteria, Jones said:
"I will let you mark those tests, but those are the tests I think need to be met."
Darren Jones Expresses Reassurance Over Burnham’s Economic Plans
Good morning. While Keir Starmer faces limited positives in his current political situation, one is that he will soon no longer have to participate in Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Tony Blair described PMQs as "the most nerve-racking, discombobulating, nail-biting, bowel-moving, terror-inspiring, courage draining experience in my prime ministerial life, without question." Today’s session could be Starmer’s third last. Including today, four Wednesdays remain before Friday 17 July, when a new Prime Minister is expected to assume PMQs duties, though one session coincides with the NATO summit, likely requiring Starmer’s absence.
Although Starmer will speak at PMQs, public interest may be limited. Power tends to consolidate quickly, and despite only recently becoming an MP, Andy Burnham has emerged as the most influential figure in Westminster. Much of the political focus is on the administration he might lead. Three key developments have occurred overnight.
It has been revealed that Burnham will appoint James Purnell, who served in cabinet with him under Gordon Brown, as his chief of staff. Our story by Kiran Stacey and Jessica Elgot provides details.
Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the Prime Minister, has announced he will not stand as a leadership candidate against Burnham. Previously, he had not ruled out a challenge, and some Starmer loyalists encouraged him to run. Ben Quinn reports on this decision.
Burnham has decided not to retain Rachel Reeves as chancellor. Although not officially confirmed, the BBC has received a briefing that supports this report with confidence.
Jones disclosed his decision during an interview with Sky’s Beth Rigby. A leadership challenge from Jones seemed unlikely, but the interview is notable for Jones’ confidence that a Burnham government will maintain fiscal responsibility. Jones served as Reeves’ deputy at the Treasury until last autumn and supported her efforts to control borrowing. He mentioned that MPs concerned about Burnham’s economic policies encouraged him to stand. Jones also spoke with Burnham on Monday, likely gaining insight into Burnham’s economic management approach.
Jones suggested Burnham might increase borrowing moderately, but within the government’s fiscal rules, which Burnham has pledged to uphold. He stated it is possible to "borrow a little bit more" while maintaining fiscal discipline.
Key excerpts from the interview between Beth Rigby (BR) and Darren Jones (DJ) include:
BR: So you would be happy for [Burnham] to borrow more, to invest in specific projects.
DJ: And I think that’s what the market and the trade unions and the parliamentary Labour party wants. Because if you’ve got a credible plan for how investment can stimulate economic output, then that is something we’ll do well.
BR: And did he say to you that’s what he intended to do?
DJ: Yeah, we talked about a lot of these details, and he was interested in the ideas I was putting forward – the ways in which the Treasury works well and sometimes doesn’t work well. Some of the delivery challenges I’ve been trying to tackle across government as chief secretary to the prime minister. And I think Andy just wants to bring the party together, come in and show delivery for the public as we gear up for the next general election.
BR: To be clear, he said to you in these conversations where you were seeking reassurances over economic policy that he was looking to borrow more to invest in certain infrastructure investment projects.
DJ: We talked about the things that I had read about in the media. So, for example, council house building, and we had that conversation. I mean, he didn’t go into specifics with me about particular spending priorities, but as I say, there is a route to doing that in a way which is in line with the fiscal rules and maintains economic stability.
Rigby later asked Jones if he believed bond markets would be comfortable with a Burnham government or if market reactions would depend on the chancellor appointment. Jones responded:
"I think I think they can be content and I think this can be done in the right way. Andy’s going to have to set out who his team is and what the policy platform is. But that’s the discussion we had today on the fundamental principles around that."
When asked if he felt reassured, Jones replied:
"I was reassured, yeah."
Further excerpts from the interview will be shared in due course.
Agenda for the Day
- 9.30am: Louise Casey, chair of the independent commission on adult social care, provides evidence to the Commons health committee regarding her review. Stephen Kinnock, the care minister, follows with evidence at 10.30am.
- 10am: The grooming gangs inquiry announces the next phase of its work.
- 10.15am: Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, participates in a Q&A at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference.
- 11.45am: Donna Ockenden’s report on failings at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is published, followed by a ministerial statement in the Commons.
- Noon: Keir Starmer faces PMQs.
- 2.20pm: Bridget Phillipson, women and equalities minister, gives evidence to the Commons women and equalities committee.
- Afternoon: Starmer travels to Berlin for a meeting of the E5 (UK, France, Germany, Poland, and Italy) to discuss increased European and NATO support for Ukraine and the Middle East. A press conference is expected at 5pm UK time.
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