Government ‘determined’ to keep Jess Phillips in post on grooming inquiry

Multiple sources in government are making it clear there is a widespread determination – from No10 to the Home Office – to keep the Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips in post.

Phillips has come under sustained pressure after four members of the survivors panel of the grooming gang inquiry quit and said they would only re-join it if the minister was replaced.

Since then, another five abuse survivors have written to the prime minister to say they will only continue to work with the inquiry if Jess Phillips keeps her job.

There were, originally, 30 people on the panel the BBC understands – more than has been previously reported.

The government is expecting it to be months before they appoint a chair of the inquiry.

The process was thrown into chaos when the leading candidate ministers hoped to appoint, former Northern Ireland police officer and child abuse expert Jim Gamble, said he was not interested in the job.

Sources say they are “taking urgent steps to ensure a new candidate is found”.

“The government will now re-engage with the victims and survivors – to listen to their concerns and take their opinions on the type of person they want to lead the inquiry,” the BBC was told.

We “will move as fast as possible, but must also take the time, likely months, to appoint the right chair,” a source added.

Sir Keir announced a national inquiry into the sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs in England and Wales in June.

The PM said the inquiry would have the power to compel witnesses to be questioned and would be guided by a panel of survivors, which the BBC understands had at least 20 members at the start.

But there has been turmoil over the past week, with Fiona Goddard and Ellie Reynolds quitting the survivors panel in the inquiry on Monday, and two more known as “Elizabeth” and “Jess” following them on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Senior figures in government are acutely aware that the victims of sexual abuse have been repeatedly and profoundly let down by multiple agencies of the state – and so establishing trust is incredibly difficult.

“Upset and vulnerable people hit out when they are in pain, and that is entirely understandable,” one figure told the BBC.

The panel members, we are told, are of a range of views and instincts – on their willingness or not to speak out, on their views on those who chose to do so or not, and on who should chair the inquiry and how it should be run.

The issue was raised at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, when Sir Keir invited the four who had quit to re-join and sought to reassure them that “I want to get this right”, despite the difficulties when “every survivor does bring their own painful experience to this”.

“The inquiry is not and will never be watered down. Its scope will not change. It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders and we will find the right person to chair the inquiry,” he told MPs.

However, there was still palpable fury from the group, who penned a group letter calling for Phillips to resign because she had broken a fragile trust.

Now, a second group of survivors, headed by Samantha Walker-Roberts, has written to Sir Keir and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood with a list of seven conditions for their continued support, including Phillips continuing in her role.

“Jess Phillips has remained impartial to the process, only listening to feedback [and] we want her to remain in position for the duration of the process for consistency,” they wrote.

“Her previous experience and drive to reduce VAWG [violence against women and girls] and her clear passion and commitment is important to us.”

They praised Phillips, who they said had “devoted her life to hearing and amplifying the voices of women and girls who would otherwise have been unheard” and had helped some of them access support.

Earlier today, the first group called on Phillips to quit in order to restore trust in the inquiry, accusing her of “betrayal” for describing reports the scope of the inquiry could be widened as “untrue”.

Headed up by Fiona Goddard, the group of four said they would only re-join it if the minister went, because they had “raised legitimate concerns around the inquiry’s direction” but “in response, your safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips called our accounts untrue”.

Another survivor, known as Carly, from Huddersfield, told the BBC she wanted to remain part of the inquiry, but she also believes Phillips should go, because “she can’t lie about what we all know” around the question of whether to widen the inquiry’s scope.