Denial about the extent of the problem is rooted deep in Britain’s political system. At times, it appears that the government’s approach to multiculturalism is not to uphold the law, but instead to minimise the risk of unrest between communities. Confronted with gangs of predominantly Pakistani men targeting predominantly white children, the state knew exactly what to do. For the good of community relations, it had to bury the story.
So, err, yes….
And above all, there was the concern over community relations: senior council staff were terrified that the abuse of children “had the potential to start a ‘race riot’”. The result was stasis, despite officials acknowledging in at least one case that abuse by Asian men had gone on for “years and years”.
It had: at least 1,000 girls were abused in the town between 1980 and 2009. Yet even this conservative estimate was disputed by authority figures, with West Mercia police superintendent Tom Harding insisting in 2018 the figure was “sensationalised”. The independent review later found it entirely plausible.
Yer Wha?
Since 1980? And at least a thousand in the one town? Meaing, likely, tens of thousands across the country?
Umm. How does this not end in lynchings?
ok….. ummmm…. Good way to light the fuse? What the actual hell……
Ref your last question, I suspect that unless they grip it, it will. I further suspect Jess isn’t the lady to do it.
I’d like to know where and how the whole Sacred Mozzer meme started.
I remember being at grammar school in the South at the beginning of the ’70s when the whole skinhead paki-bashing thing started, not that there were any around my way. Being a peace-and-trees hippy it was beyond my comprehension. I now realise that those skins doing the bashing probably knew something I didn’t.
Keep trying to understand how families didn’t know or tolerated this – some # of girls might be runaways or from seriously dysfunctional homes, but a daughter who is being drugged, threatened or given alcohol in exchange for sexual abuse & nobody caught on?
On the council estate where I grew up most kids were skinheads and, like Norman, I was a hippy – in my case very council Sarf London hippy – but certainly a target for the skins. I remember my sprinting ability being tested to the utmost when boldly confronting a group of skins. I don’t think most of them knew very much of anything at all. When Mrs Grist and I first got married all we could afford was a flat in Welling, South London, which was the headquarters of the BNP. Since I’d started smoking and drinking thank god my now nonexistent springing ability was not tested but you certainly wouldn’t want to look at these guys the wrong way. I don’t know anything about Tommy Robinson but I suspect he’s using the grooming gang scandal as a reason to excuse his thuggish behaviour. The label “far-right” would more appropriately used for the religious followers of Islam which the Left have formed some relationship with.
Now, with my second granddaughter on the way both groups are now my enemies…
This thread on X/Twitter claims that Pakistani abuse of English girls started as early as the 1960s: https://x.com/jaccusepaper/status/1875161584018083861
The more this is supressed, or complains about inaction are suppressed, the more that innocent bystanders will be taken out in the blowback. There will be an explosion that takes off people’s legs to deal with broken toes.
And it gets better:
Starmer accused of snubbing grooming gang whistleblower Meeting with Jayne Senior, who was instrumental in publicising victims’ plight, declined while Prime Minister was in opposition
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/01/04/starmer-accused-of-snubbing-second-grooming-whistleblower/
This is becoming a bit like that “bigoted woman” who did for Brown, especially as I find it hard to imagine that Jayne Senior MBE was a natural Tory at the time.
Events, dear boy. Yes, we have to wait for the next GE before Nige can put the boot in but how long is Starmer realistically going to last with a highly ambitious Ginger Growler lurking in the background?
A ginger growler with more than a whiff of, not tuna, but tax evasion about it…
Although it’s hard to see Starmer lasting the course, or maybe the month*, it is impossible to see anyone in the cabinet who could step up. Rayner is seriously deficient in all qualities, Reeves’s credibility is blown, Lammy? You fill in the reasons why it shouldn’t be him, Cooper? DMMFL. That leaves Streeting. The only thing that qualifies him is that he isnt as bad as the rest. There’s a whole load of over-promoted HR females on the level below but none of them seem to have gone beyong student politics.
*Gone by January 20th?
rhoda
Don’t forget the bacon sandwich…
Trouble is, Rhoda, you’ve just described most of Westminster. I say bring on the Growler and let’s get it over with. Then the IMF can sort us out.
Grist,
“ I don’t know anything about Tommy Robinson but I suspect he’s using the grooming gang scandal as a reason to excuse his thuggish behaviourL
It doesn’t excuse a lot of his behaviour, but apparently a relative is one of the victims.
I sometimes wish that those who sneer at Robinson would say what he is supposed to have done to justify the way the legal system has been turned against him. I am aware of allegations of street violence many years ago. So what? If the EDL had opposed muslim takeovers in several northern and midland towns we might be better off now. But no, it’s far right to resist a clear threat.
He was convicted of a mortgage fraud crime a while back. Fair and square but victimless, the loan was repaid. Remember Peter Mandelson doing that? He didn’t go to prison, he went to the House of Lords. Tommy’s civil defamation case was a bit suss, he couldn’t get testimony from those involved in the school who had signed NDAs and thus couldn’t prove truth at the civil case level. The contempt of court, not the first time, was intentional. Not a mistake, and he knew he’d get jailed. They are out to get him and make association with him poison. It’s working. I and many others don’t think he deserves it. He is far above the great and the good who are still covering up the crimes. Which ARE still occurring.
(All the above my own take. Open to correction by anyone who knows better)
I think we need both the Tommy Robinsons doing all the mass publicity they can, and the Nigel Farages attempting to overthrow the establishment from the inside, and I understand that Nigel has to say (at least pretend) that Tommy is a bad person and not welcome in his gang.
In all the interviews I saw from Nigel this weekend he was asked about Tommy, but not once did he claim that anything Tommy said was incorrect. He just mentioned that the current jailing is for contempt of court (which is accurate). He also carefully did not say that Elon is wrong to highlight it as a political jailing; answering that he and Elon are free to disagree about many things, as that’s what free speech means.