Farage Urges UK Parliament Inquiry into Grooming Gangs Scandal Amid Survivor Criticism

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has called on Parliament to take swift and decisive action by launching its own investigation into the grooming gangs scandal, criticising the government's national inquiry as ineffective and manipulative. Farage suggested a joint commission involving both the House of Commons and Lords, similar to the independent commission on banking, to restore public trust and ensure accountability on an issue that has persisted for over a decade. Ellie-Ann Reynolds, a survivor and former member of the inquiry’s victims liaison panel, condemned the government inquiry for its controlling atmosphere and alleged gaslighting, highlighting the resignation of multiple survivors from the panel amid concerns about safeguarding and leadership. The inquiry has also faced setbacks with the withdrawal of leading candidates to chair the probe and ongoing delays in appointing leadership, raising doubts about its progress. Farage plans to meet with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and write to Dame Karen Bradley, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, to propose establishing a parliamentary subcommittee or commission that can operate transparently and swiftly, contrasting with prolonged government delays. This parliamentary intervention is framed as an urgent opportunity to address public concern and reinforce institutional integrity in handling the grooming gangs scandal.