THE government has been accused of diluting its plans for local child sexual abuse inquiries after announcing a more "flexible approach" to how councils can use a £5 million national fund, reported The Times.
Home Office minister Jess Phillips confirmed in the Commons that local authorities will have greater choice in how they utilise the funding, which was originally intended to support five judge-led inquiries modelled on the Telford investigation.
In a statement, Phillips explained: "Following feedback, the government would adopt a flexible approach to its plans for local child sexual abuse inquiries." She added this could include full independent inquiries, but might also involve "more bespoke work, including local victims' panels or locally led audits of the handling of historical cases."
While Home Office sources insisted that the original five inquiries could still proceed, opposition MPs swiftly criticised what they viewed as a retreat from earlier commitments.
Conservative frontbencher Katie Lam challenged the government: "In January the home secretary said the government would conduct five local inquiries into the rape gangs which have terrorised so many innocent children. Over three months since the government announced these local inquiries, Tom Crowther KC, a barrister invited by the Home Office to help establish them, knows almost nothing about their progress, and neither do we."
Fellow Tory MP Robbie Moore expressed his frustration, saying: "Here we are on the very last sitting day before the Easter recess and the government have all but admitted that no real progress whatsoever has been made on their promise to launch five local rape gang inquiries before Easter."
Phillips did confirm several other measures to combat child sexual abuse, including the establishment of a new child protection authority – addressing a key recommendation from the 2022 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
Professor Alexis Jay's comprehensive seven-year investigation described child sexual abuse as an "epidemic" across England and Wales and identified widespread institutional failings.
Additional measures announced include a new criminal offence for obstructing abuse reporting, doubled funding for adult survivors of child sexual abuse, and forthcoming improvements to therapeutic services for victims.
The announcement comes amid ongoing criticism over delays in implementing the IICSA's 20 recommendations, which include a national compensation scheme and mandatory reporting laws for people in positions of trust.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.