Newslinks for Tuesday the 21st of October 2025 | Conservative Home

Badenoch accuses Labour of ‘sabotaging grooming gangs inquiry’ and Khan comes under fire

“Labour has been accused of sabotaging the national grooming gangs inquiry by victims and campaigners. Sir Keir Starmer’s long-promised inquiry suffered a serious blow on Monday when two victims quit a liaison panel and claimed they were being “silenced”. One claimed that officials wanted to downplay the ethnicity and religious background of perpetrators. Critics alleged that the Government was seeking to wreck the inquiry in an attempt to avoid embarrassing revelations ahead of the next general election. The Prime Minister is now facing demands to scrap the inquiry and launch a new one run by a judge. Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said: “Many will now suspect Labour is sabotaging the grooming gangs inquiry and deliberately dragging it out beyond the next election. bIt has now been over four months since Keir Starmer was dragged into launching a national inquiry, yet nothing has happened. We need a judge-led inquiry with full statutory powers.” Maggie Oliver, the former detective who blew the whistle on the Rochdale child sex abuse ring, said: “It really is another cover-up, another attempt to water down what this national inquiry should be. They’re even trying to expand it to cover child sexual abuse and not grooming gangs, any form of group-based abuse, again trying to muddy the waters and pretend that this kind of offending is not still going on and it is a national scandal.” – Daily Telegraph

• ‘Kept in dark’. Two victims quit grooming gangs inquiry over ‘concerns about its ability to get to the truth’ – The Sun
• Starmer’s grooming gang inquiry left in turmoil after two survivors quit panel – Guardian
• Blow to grooming gangs inquiry as pair quit ‘toxic environment’ – The Times
• Grooming gang victim quits ‘toxic’ inquiry panel and accuses government of watering down probe into scandal – Daily Mail
• ‘Grooming gang’ told victims ‘Islam forbids wearing protection’ – Daily Telegraph
• Khan humiliated as Met makes huge London grooming gangs U-turn – Daily Express
• ‘Utterly shameful’ Sadiq Khan accused of ‘turning a blind eye’ to rape gangs in London despite ‘real, credible evidence’ of horror assaults – The Sun
• Sadiq Khan accused of ‘facilitating cover-up’ of grooming gangs in London – after reports of young girls being raped by groups of men in capital – Daily Mail

Comment

• Jim Gamble is the right man to lead the grooming gang inquiry – Ian Acheson, Spectator

Asylum hotel bathroom baptisms branded abuse of the system by shadow Home Secretary

“Migrants are being baptised in asylum hotel bathtubs by a Christian charity, The Telegraph can reveal. Asylum seekers have undergone baptisms in taxpayer-funded accommodation despite concerns that Muslim migrants are only going through the process to gain asylum. Carelinks Ministries, a registered charity linked to the minority Christadelphian sect, has visited hotels across Britain to conduct baptisms in migrants’ bathrooms. A number of migrants who became Christadelphian after arriving in Britain have, in recent years, won asylum under the European Convention on Human Rights by arguing they would face persecution if returned to their home countries. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said that bathtub baptisms were “insanity” and proved the asylum system needed to be “completely dismantled”. The revelations will fuel concerns that asylum seekers are continuing to fake religious conversions more than a year after Abdul Ezedi, who was granted asylum after being baptised, attacked a woman and two children with a chemical substance.” – Daily Telegraph

• Migrants baptised in hotel bathtubs by Christian charity amid claims they’re being ‘abused’ to support asylum claims – Daily Mail
• Jury sees video of ‘asylum seeker dancing after stabbing hotel worker’ – The Times
• Kick in the Balkans. Fresh migration woes for PM as long-awaited Rwanda-style deal with Balkan nations still out of reach – The Sun
• Migrants to train British workers under plan backed by Labour MPs – The Times
• Islamophobia definition ‘risks undermining terrorism laws’ – Daily Telegraph

Back down by police on ‘non-crime hate incidents’ welcomed by free speech champions

“The Metropolitan Police have said they will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents to end the practice of officers having to police “toxic culture war debates”. Scotland Yard announced that the comedian Graham Linehan would face no further action after he was arrested last month over three tweets. Linehan, 57, who co-created sitcoms including Father Ted and The IT Crowd, was told by police that he was being detained over three gender-critical messages he had posted on X. The Met confirmed that he had been arrested on suspicion of inciting violence “in relation to posts on X”. Linehan was later released on bail on the condition that he refrained from posting any further tweets. Shortly after announcing it would not press charges against Linehan on Monday, the Met said it would no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents. Non-crime hate incidents are incidents that do not count as crimes but are perceived to be motivated by hatred towards characteristics such as race or gender.” – The Times

• Met to end all non-crime hate investigations – Daily Telegraph
• London’s Metropolitan Police says officers will stop investigating controversial ‘non-crime hate incidents’ after it was revealed Father Ted writer Graham Linehan faces no further action over anti-trans tweets – Daily Mail
• Probe over. Met Police will no longer probe non-crime hate incidents after Graham Linehan case dropped – The Sun
• Met police to end non-crime hate investigations after Graham Linehan case – Guardian
• Massive victory for free speech as Met to stop ‘policing toxic culture war debates’ – Daily Express
• Phillipson rejects claim she’s delaying trans guidance to not risk deputy PM votes – The i

‘Never her fault’ says Stride as Reeves rounds on Brexit to defend budget tax rises

“Brexit is back. As the budget approaches, Rachel Reeves is attempting to answer an almost impossible question: how do you sell a package of tax rises to sceptical voters who already feel taxed to the hilt? The chancellor believes she has found an answer. The economic damage caused by the last government’s Brexit deal, she will argue, has had a much more significant impact than previously anticipated. She will present the figures to support this and say that the Conservatives — and ultimately Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader — who pushed for Brexit then “walked away”, are to blame. This is a change of tack for Reeves, who before the last budget, opted to blame the Tories. The dire economic inheritance was worse than expected, she argued, leaving her with no choice but to increase taxes by more than £40 billion. It did not work. Rachel Reeves is by some margin one of the most unpopular politicians in Britain and has a net favourability rating of -49. The only other politician more unpopular than her is Sir Keir Starmer, who is on -51. With this in mind, Reeves has opted to take a different approach to November 26 by blaming the impact of Brexit.” – The Times

• ‘Never her fault’: Reeves blasted for blaming UK’s economic woes on Brexit – Daily Express
• Reeves set to announce more tax rises in 16 months than Gordon Brown did in 10 years… as Chancellor blames Brexit ahead of Budget – Daily Mail
• Yes Brexit has weakened the economy, but here are other reasons it’s struggling – The i
• Youth jobs crisis. One million young Brits set to be out of work or education for first time in more than a decade – The Sun
• Labour urged to rethink scrapping minimum wage youth rates amid ‘Neets’ rise – Guardian
• Rachel Reeves to cut £6bn of red tape in hope of balancing budget – The Times
• Reeves clashes with Streeting over £1bn to scrap NHS England – Daily Telegraph
• Reeves is doom and gloom but her messy Budget may be ‘hated’ Starmer’s only hope – The i

Comment

• Rachel Reeves’ tax trap is strangling growth – Daniel Herring, CapX

Today

Universities running ‘Mickey Mouse’ courses face limits on students in new crackdown

“Universities running ‘Mickey Mouse’ courses will face curbs on student numbers under new Government plans. Institutions offering low-quality teaching and poor student outcomes will be penalised with caps on how many they can recruit. The proposals, unveiled in a white paper today, also say universities could be measured for the first time by student progress. And the Office for Students (OfS) regulator will be given new powers to take action on low-quality courses. It comes amid fears too many students are graduating with tens of thousands of pounds of debt and poor job prospects.Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told The Times: ‘Students deserve high-quality education that sets them up for success, not courses that leave them with poor prospects. ‘Our ambitious white paper will set out how we will work closely with the OfS to develop new powers, allowing them to take decisive action.’The OfS can already fine universities that fall short of its benchmarks.” – Daily Mail

• Universities with poor quality courses face limits on student numbers – The Times
• English universities can raise tuition fees if they meet ‘tough’ standards, says Phillipson – Guardian
• Vote on Oxford Union president in chaos over ‘intimidation’ of officials – Daily Telegraph
• Oxford Union suspends confidence vote in president over Charlie Kirk comments due to ‘intimidation’ of officials – Daily Mail
• Oxford Union confidence vote halted after intimidation claims – The Times

Today

Reform suspend Kent councillors for bring the party into disrepute after meeting leak

“Reform UK has suspended four councillors after a video of a tense council meeting was leaked to the press. Footage emerged over the weekend of an online meeting where Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran could be seen berating backbench councillors when they questioned her. Reform announced today that four councillors had been suspended. A spokesperson said: “Cllrs Paul Thomas, Oliver Bradshaw, Bill Barrett and Maxine Fothergill have had the whip suspended pending investigation, following evidence that they brought the party into disrepute.” In the clip, reported by the Guardian, Ms Kemkaran told members that KCC – which has an annual budget of more than £2.5 billion – is a “shop window” to show the country that Reform can govern competently. There’s been a rumoured split between many of Kent Reform’s backbench councillors and the appointed leadership since they took over.” – Daily Express

• Reform suspends four Kent councillors over leaked video – The Times
• Reform UK suspends four Kent councillors after leaked video – FT
• Reform suspends four councillors after leaked infighting clip – Spectator

News in Brief

• The real reason Birmingham isn’t safe for Jews – Laurie Wastell, Spectator
• Nimby Watch: The battle of Brighton Gasworks – James Ball, CapX
• The splintering of British Jews. The community is divided – David Rose, Unherd
• Europe’s stuttering nuclear renaissance – Pieter Cleppe, The Critic