Chris Philp has accused Labour of being “complicit in the cover-up” of the grooming gangs scandal after he claimed Sir Keir Starmer’s Government had been dragging its feet on the matter.

The Shadow Home Secretary told GB News it was “about time” the Labour Government took action with his leader Kemi Badenoch due to unveil her “alternative rape gangs inquiry” this morning.

Mrs Badenoch is set to unveil her “alternative rape gangs inquiry” with a new focus on groomers’ religion and ethnicity in a bid to rival Labour’s investigation.

The Tories released the draft terms of reference for the national probe after accusing Labour of “dragging its feet”, with its inquiry having no named chairman and no terms of reference so far.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Philp said: “It was now half a year ago that they were forced into announcing an inquiry into the rape gang scandal.

“They didn’t want to do it. They were dragged kicking and screaming. And here we are half a year later, and they’ve done absolutely nothing at all.

“It makes them, in my view, complicit in the cover up of these awful crimes where young, mainly white girls were systematically raped by men of mainly Pakistani origin.

“That was covered up deliberately by those in authority, because they were more concerned about so-called community relations than they were about protecting girls.

“We need this inquiry to get to the truth.”

However, the Tory Party has also been chastised for speaking out about the grooming gang scandal after it spent 14 years in power.

Mr Philp looked to brush off the accusations, saying: “I’m afraid that’s nonsense. We’re being constructive.

“We’re not just criticising from the sidelines. We have actually developed our own proper terms of reference.

“We’ve developed that with survivors, with victims. And I would urge the Government just to adopt our terms of reference. We’ve taken the time to develop them. We are trying to be constructive.”

BRITAIN’S RAPE GANG SCANDAL – READ MORE:

• Kemi Badenoch to unveil ‘alternative rape gangs inquiry’ with focus on groomers’ religion and ethnicity
• Man arrested in Tameside grooming gang investigation
• Scotland to launch national review into grooming gangs as SNP bows to pressure

Sir Keir was forced into a U-turn on the grooming gangs scandal back in June after consistently refusing to launch an inquiry into the scandal.

Meanwhile, Mr Philp criticised Labour’s attempt to “smear” his party before the Prime Minister backtracked on the inquiry.

“When Kemi and I first called for this inquiry back in January, Keir Starmer smeared us both as jumping on a far right bandwagon just for calling for the inquiry,” Mr Philp added.

“Then, a few months later, he was forced into a U-turn when faced with a vote in Parliament two days later.

“But here we are six months later. They’ve done nothing. And the victims and survivors that we’re talking to feel very, very let down.”

Meanwhile, a Labour spokesman accused the Tories of failing to take action against the rape gangs in the party’s 14 years in power.

“Their record on this issue is clear: they had years to take action on this appalling scandal, yet time and time again they failed to do so,” he said.

“This Labour Government accepted all the recommendations from Baroness Casey’s report and we are committed to a full, statutory, national inquiry to uncover the truth.

“It will be robust, rigorous and laser focused on grooming gangs, and its scope will not change.

“The inquiry will direct and oversee local investigations, with the power to compel witnesses and summon evidence. And it will explicitly examine the background, ethnicity and culture of offenders.”

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