presenter Martin Daubney struggled to hold back tears as he announced that a Labour minister denied requests to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham.
Back in 2013, it was revealed that girls as young as 11 were groomed and raped across a number of towns in England, including Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham and Telford.
The probe, led by Professor Alexis Jay, looked into abuse by organised groups and revealed the scale of exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
The report found that around 1,400 girls were abused and discovered how the police and social services failed to intervene.
Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister and Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, has now denied requests for the Home Office to lead a public inquiry into the national scandal.
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Martin Daubney struggled to hold back tears
Daubney, who was the deputy leader of the Reclaim Party from 2021 until August 2022, struggled to read out Ms Phillips statement which said: “It is for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the government to intervene.”
After he concluded, the visibly shaken presenter declared: “I’m sorry for my outburst there. I’m only human.”
The former politician was inundated with support from viewers, with one saying: “There is no need to apologise, Martin. Your reaction is perfectly normal, a natural response by anyone who is decent, and of course, as a father.”
A second agreed: “No apologies needed. It just shows the feelings for this particular subject and how it affects everyone. It can never be an easy to convey a message to the masses and not be affected by what you’re reading at the time.”
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Kemi Badenoch claimed an inquiry into the scandal is “long overdue”
Another added: “Well done, Martin. Showing your emotions live on TV is bloody brilliant. What a man!”
Conservative Party leader aruged an inquiry into the grooming scandal is “long overdue”.
The politician said 2025 “must be the year that victims get justice” after the safeguarding minister rejected calls from Oldham council for a public inquiry.
In a post on X, she wrote: “The time is long overdue for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal.
“Trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots. 2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice.”