Kemi Badenoch has not met grooming or child abuse victims in inquiry campaign

Sir Keir claimed a further inquiry could delay action on tackling child sexual abuse, pointing out that recommendations from a seven-year investigation which reported in 2022 had not yet been implemented.

In heated Commons exchanges, Sir Keir said: “This morning, I met some of the victims and survivors of this scandal, and they were clear with me that they want action now, not the delay of a further inquiry.”

He said the Conservative leader had “jumped on the bandwagon” about grooming gangs but, while in office as children’s minister and equalities minister, “I can’t recall her once raising this issue in the House, once calling for a national inquiry”.

Until yesterday, in her eight years as an MP, Ms Badenoch had never mentioned “grooming” in the House of Commons.

After PMQs, it emerged that Ms Badenoch has not met any grooming gang victims, and her spokesman could not give details of plans to meet any.

He said: “You can read their testimonies, you can see their reports, you don’t need to necessarily meet them [victims] to feel incredibly passionately about this.”

Sir Keir’s official spokesman faced questions about the possibility of a national inquiry after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips told Sky News “nothing is off the table” in dealing with the scandal.

The spokesman said the PM and his minister were of the same view, and insisted the Government’s response is “rooted in what victims want”.

Critics claim Sir Keir wants to avoid a national inquiry as it could put the focus on his time as director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

The Prime Minister has defended his record, pointing out that he brought the “first major prosecution of an Asian grooming gang” and changed the approach to dealing with similar cases.

Professor Alexis Jay, who led the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse which reported in 2022 and the first Rotherham investigation, has said “the time has passed” for another lengthy examination of grooming gangs.