The British are renowned for their class system, their tea-drinking, and, now that Elon Musk has told the world about it, the grooming, rape, trafficking, and torture of underage girls by gangs of mostly Pakistani Muslim origin.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips’ decision to block a public inquiry into the Oldham grooming gangs seems, from the outside, to be almost inexplicable. Children were raped and abused by gangs of men while the authorities failed to protect them.

A council has joined calls for the government to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation. At a full council meeting, North Northamptonshire Council urged the government to address concerns about perceived institutional shortcomings in tackling the crimes.

Nigel Farage has renewed calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs, criticising the Jay Review as inadequate. Speaking at Reform UK’s North West conference, he claimed a targeted investigation was needed into what he described as “deeply racist” crimes.

MPs in Berkshire have voted on a push to launch a new public inquiry into grooming gangs and the sexual exploitation of vulnerable women and girls.