Nigel Farage has described the issue of grooming gangs in London as potentially "the last great grooming scandal to be uncovered," highlighting the difficulties in identifying such networks within the sprawling and diverse capital city. Speaking to the Daily Express, Farage indicated that while grooming gangs are more visibly exposed in smaller cities like Rotherham, London presents a greater challenge for authorities due to its size and demographic complexity. He asserted that individuals within social services acknowledge the presence of grooming gangs in London, a fact he contends has been denied by the Metropolitan Police and the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan. Farage has called for Khan's resignation over what he sees as a failure to address and acknowledge the scale of these crimes, which he says involve vile perpetrators still operating in the capital.
Following investigations by the Express and MyLondon, Farage suggested that the evidence is mounting and that the full extent of the crimes committed by grooming gangs in London is close to being revealed. This call for transparency comes as Scotland Yard confirmed it will conduct a thorough review of around 9,000 child sexual exploitation cases spanning 15 years. The review follows recommendations from Baroness Louise Casey's probe into grooming gang scandals, aiming to scrutinise instances of group-based offending as well as other related forms of abuse.
The Metropolitan Police have emphasised that many of these cases do not fit the conventional definition of grooming gang activity, including those involving family abuse, peer-on-peer incidents, and exploitation within institutional settings. The force claims to have made significant progress in tackling child sexual exploitation since 2022, reporting a trebling of solved cases and an increase in suspects charged by 134 in the past year. The Met confirmed that around 11,000 frontline officers have received training to better identify and investigate group-based offences, alongside expanding specialised child exploitation teams.
Farage has urged Parliament to take a more proactive role in addressing grooming gangs, proposing the formation of a parliamentary commission dedicated to the issue. He draws parallels with high-profile past inquiries, recalling how Sir Fred Goodwin was summoned before a banking commission in 2009, to highlight Parliament’s substantial powers. Farage insists that committees have the authority to summon witnesses from social services, police, local councils, and political offices, and can even impose sanctions or prosecute for perjury if testimonies are found to be deliberately misleading. He framed this push as an opportunity both for Parliament and the government to restore public trust, especially on a matter that has caused deep public concern for over a decade.
In a related development, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has also publicly criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not initiating a national inquiry into grooming gangs. Farage has emphasised the particular concern around gangs mainly of Pakistani origin exploiting vulnerable young, working-class white girls. He has welcomed support from figures such as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who backs calls for a focused and comprehensive investigation. Farage has stressed that Parliament must play its part in restoring public confidence by thoroughly addressing the grooming gang crisis nationwide.
According to the Metropolitan Police, their commitment to safeguarding victims and bringing perpetrators to justice remains absolute. The force insists that it investigates all allegations thoroughly, following evidence impartially and without favour. Improvements in training and resource allocation suggest a renewed focus on these issues, but critics like Farage argue that far more transparency and political accountability are needed to fully uncover and confront grooming gang activities across the UK, particularly in London.
📌 Reference Map:
- Paragraph 1 – [1] (Express)
- Paragraph 2 – [1] (Express)
- Paragraph 3 – [1] (Express)
- Paragraph 4 – [1] (Express)
- Paragraph 5 – [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7] (Standard, GB News)
Source: Noah Wire Services