politics
Farage Criticises Burnham’s Record on Grooming Gangs Ahead of Makerfield By-Election
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has sharply criticised Andy Burnham's handling of child sexual exploitation cases in Greater Manchester, saying he failed victims and would betray Brexit voters. Former detective Maggie Oliver accused the metro mayor of lacking candour on ongoing failures.
May 16, 7:23 PM·3m read1 source
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Nigel Farage told The Telegraph that Andy Burnham failed the grooming gang victims, will fail the people of Makerfield, would be a disaster for the economy and would betray every Brexit voter in the constituency. Farage added that Open Borders Burnham must be stopped.
Maggie Oliver, a former detective constable and GMP whistleblower, accused Andy Burnham of falling at the final hurdle regarding grooming gang issues.
Oliver said that in Mr Burnham and GMP there was a willingness to say there had been huge failures in the past but when looking at action around failures still going on today there truly was no duty of candour on display. "Instead, they turned away. Again," Oliver continued.
"Once again, the voices of those victims and survivors whose voices should have been front and centre of this report were totally silenced and blocked out of the assurance review, making it worthless. " Andy Burnham became Greater Manchester metro mayor in 2017. He then set up reviews into allegations of child sexual exploitation in Manchester and Rochdale.
The reviews exposed institutional failings including authorities turning a blind eye to abuse by predominantly Pakistani men against white girls. More than 100 people were arrested following the investigation into child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester. Multiple convictions were secured.
The final assurance review concluded there had been significant improvements in tackling child sex abuse. Andy Burnham broke ranks with Labour to back a limited national inquiry into the gangs months before the Prime Minister confirmed a full probe. The Prime Minister accused those who called for a national inquiry of jumping on a far-right bandwagon.
