Political Controversies and the Influence of Technology on Governance

The grooming gangs scandal is back in the news this week after Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips rejected calls for a government inquiry into historic child abuse in Oldham, prompting a conservative backlash. Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary, called it ‘shameful’; Liz Truss, the former Prime Minister, labelled Phillips’s title ‘a perversion of the English language.’ Even Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter/X, has piled in, arguing that the Home Office minister ‘deserves to be in prison.’

As the grooming gangs story continues to gather traction, will we see an inquiry? And how should we assess the Home Secretary’s success six months into the job?

Cindy Yu speaks to James Heale and Danny Shaw, a former adviser to Yvette Cooper.

Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.