A top child abuse lawyer has warned that the grooming gangs inquiry risks being a waste of £65million if Sir Keir Starmer's Government meddles with the investigation.
David Greenwood told GB News that the Labour Government and ministers must “get their hands off” the inquiry and “let it be run by the panel and its lawyers".
Mr Greenwood, who has represented grooming gang victims across Britain, told the People’s Channel that the inquiry team will be placed “to use their nous to work out exactly what's been going wrong or what they should investigate and what they should spend their time and taxpayers' money on".
The top lawyer added concerns that the current draft terms of reference “include the Government having a say in which towns and cities are having a deep dive investigation into their failings", adding: “That shouldn't happen.”
Mr Greenwood, who runs the child abuse compensation team at Switalskis, shared his concern as the terms of reference outline how “the criteria used to select local areas will be agreed between the Government and the inquiry".
The inquiry’s draft terms of reference say that it will “not attempt to be exhaustive” and that "it will not investigate every local area where grooming gangs have operated".
David Greenwood told GB News that the Labour Government and ministers must 'get their hands off' the inquiry and 'let it be run by the panel and its lawyers'
|GB NEWS
It will instead “consider areas and services where there is particular evidence of past failings", working closely with the new police operation set up by the National Crime Agency to tackle the abuse networks.
Baroness Anne Longfield was confirmed last year as the chair of the inquiry, alongside Eleanor Kelly and Zoe Billingham as panellists.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Mr Greenwood, who runs the child abuse compensation team at Switalskis, shared his concern as the terms of reference outline how 'the criteria used to select local areas will be agreed between the Government and the inquiry'
|GB NEWS
Amid concerns from survivors on a panel that it risked expanding beyond a focus on abuse networks, the Government has insisted that it will be “laser-focused” on grooming gangs.
Oldham has been confirmed as the first location that will receive an investigation.
GB News understands that other areas will be announced soon.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The sexual exploitation and abuse of children, including by grooming gangs, are among the most horrific crimes imaginable.
The top lawyer sat down to discuss the inquiry with Charlie Peters
|GB NEWS
“Decisions on which areas will be subject to investigations by the inquiry are solely a matter for the chair.”