Grooming Gangs Inquiry Faces Months-Long Delay After Leadership Resignations

The national grooming gangs inquiry in the UK is facing significant delays and challenges, with both leading candidates for chair withdrawing amid survivor criticism of their professional backgrounds and concerns over the inquiry's scope and leadership. Survivors and campaigners argue for a chair with a legal background to ensure independence and credibility, rejecting candidates from police and social work backgrounds due to perceived institutional failures. The government has acknowledged it could take months to appoint a new chair, with the inquiry unlikely to commence until the new year, over six months after it was initially promised. Several survivors have resigned from the advisory panel, some demanding the resignation of Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, who retains the support of Prime Minister Keir Starmer despite the backlash. MPs, including Sarah Champion, have urged the government to clarify the inquiry's remit, resources, and timetable, warning that prolonged delays undermine public confidence and delay justice for survivors. The inquiry aims to focus specifically on grooming gangs, examining offender ethnicity and religion, but survivors remain concerned about restricted access and limited scope.