what on earth is he year pact. what on earth is he thinking? before all of that, let's get the news with sam let's get the news with sam francis. francis. >> nigel, thank you very much. >> nigel, thank you very much. good evening to you. just coming good evening to you. just coming up to 7:01. well, after weeks of up to 7:01. well, after weeks of pressure on the government, the pressure on the government, the home secretary has today home secretary has today unveiled a new national level unveiled a new national level rapid audit of grooming gangs rapid audit of grooming gangs and new local inquiries. yvette and new local inquiries. yvette cooper announced tougher cooper announced tougher sentences, mandatory reporting sentences, mandatory reporting and expanded investigations to and expanded investigations to cover recent cases. she also cover recent cases. she also says the government will support says the government will support victim centred local inquiries victim centred local inquiries in oldham and four other pilot in oldham and four other pilot areas. areas. >> all those national inquiries, >> all those national inquiries, reports and hundreds of and hundreds of recommendations, far too little reports and hundreds of recommendations, far too little action has been taken and action has been taken and shamefully little progress has shamefully little been made. most important task action has been taken and sham made. .ittle action has been taken and sham made. most important task should be to increase police been made. most important task should be to increase police investigations into these

horrific crimes and get abusers behind bars. we will introduce investigations communicated with stronger sentences for child grooming, making it an aggravating factor to organise abuse and exploitation. and i can announce new action today to help victims get more investigations and prosecutions under way. >> well, in other news, this afternoon a this evening rather. an investigation is now underway after convicted murderer jake farage, known as rapper ten, recorded drill music referencing the murder of schoolboy jimmy mizen. the 35 year old, who was released from prison in june 2023, appears in balaclava clad videos boasting about violence. one track, recently played on bbc radio, includes disturbing lyrics allegedly referencing jimmy's death. the conservatives robert jenrick has called for an apology from the bbc, accusing them of promoting music from a man responsible for what he described as a shocking crime.

the broadcaster, though, claims it was

finnegan, who communicated with others through apps like telegram and snapchat, encouraged one girl to hang herself on video to share with the group. he was sentenced today at the old bailey with an extended licence of three years. and news tonight that david lynch, the oscar nominated director of films including blue velvet and co—creator of the cult drama series twin peaks, has sadly died at the age of 78. the surrealist filmmaking giant was best known for his blend of unsettling visuals and unique storytelling style. his family announced his death on social media, writing, there is now a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. but as he's no longer with us. but as he would say, keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole. david lynch, remembered today as one of the greatest directors, has died at the age of 78. that's the news on gb news. a full round up at 8:00. now, though, back to westminster

and nigel, for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code or go to gbnews.com/alerts. >> well, the grooming gang row goes on today. the home secretary got up in the house of commons and announced that the government will put £5 million into local inquiries with the backing of national government. they've also announced a national audit to be led by baroness louise casey. but what was, i think really interesting was, i think really interesting was in response to questions asked by members of parliament on seven occasions, the home secretary was asked will these be statutory inquiries? what do i mean by that? i mean having the ability to say to somebody

in social services or somebody in social services or somebody in police or somebody in local government, you must come along and give evidence. and the answer seven times was no. so i'm beginning to think that what the government are really doing is just kicking the can down the road. we know the great british public, who, frankly, have been horrified to learn that in up to 50 different towns in this country, these mass rapes, gang rapes have been happening. 73% in opinion polls say they want a national inquiry. the government isn't going to give us one. now, as you know, i've said if there was to be no inquiry at all, i'd call one. and you almost think, in a way, they've done this to try and box me off a little bit, because i could call a national inquiry, but i wouldn't have statutory powers either. i think this is a classic political fudge. i don't believe myself this will actually solve

anything. i hope i'm wrong, but give me your thoughts at home. is this enough? farage @gbnews. com or tweet hashtag farage. i'm joined in the studio by alex stafford, former tory mp for rother valley, one of the areas very seriously affected by this problem. also joined by jane stevenson, former conservative member of parliament, and doctor chris candy, a campaigner and founder of sanctuary foundation. good evening everybody. alex, we kind of knew i mean, rotherham was the first big town where the scale of abuse was uncovered and where not only was the country shocked, but the world was shocked. you know, i had people in australia saying to me, my goodness me, what's happening in rotherham? i mean, it reflected appallingly on the country and there was a big report into rotherham. there's been nothing since that report that actually has drilled down as much as to what happened in that town, but

we are now learning that at least 50, at least 50 other towns, this scale of abuse did take place. what do you make of today's announcement? >> well, i think it's too little, too late. and if i was one of the towns that didn't have an inquiry given to me, i'd say, what about my girls? what are my daughters? my wife? what do you mean? don't they matter? yeah. don't they matter? surely this is labour saying we're going to pick and choose some towns which matter and some towns which matter and some towns that don't matter. and thatis towns that don't matter. and that is why we do need a grand inquiry, a national inquiry to look at everyone. because everyone's daughters and girls do matter. and they were saying, well, they don't. and what is worrying is obviously i represent a part of rotherham in this sort of ten years plus what happened. it's more than just what happened. it's the cover ups as well. and what actually happenedin ups as well. and what actually happened in rotherham in 2005. the councillors were told grooming was going on when the times started reporting it. the rotherham, the labour run council, said it was murdoch lies and some of those people, some of those councillors who

went to the seminar in 2005 who said there's grooming going on and then later denied it was going on, were still councillors until 2024. labour representatives in the area and i wrote to keir starmer six times, an mp, saying these people should not be councillors. and do you know how many times keir starmer in that time responded to me and cared about it? not once. not once. so this is labour doing nothing. they're clearly not caring for our girls. >> i mean, i one of the reasons i joined the call for a national inquiry and said, i try and raise the money and find some independent people to run it. you know, twofold really. one, i don't think the victims have ever been listened to properly or even believed. frankly, that's one of the worst aspects of this. they simply weren't believed. but also, the cover up disturbs me almost as much as the crime. not quite, but almost as much as the crime. and that's where that word statutory comes in. because if, say, it was just five to begin with and she did say she could extend to more towns. but you know, that sort of hedging again. but unless you have statutory powers, the

people that need to be brought in and cross—questioned by a good case won't be, will they? >> yeah. and that's exactly right. there's been such a cover up across the country. it hasn't been a cover up for decades. the only way to find out what actually happened, get answers and also stop it happening again. and that's the really important thing. it's not just deaung important thing. it's not just dealing with the victims, but also stopping future victims is i truly say we will come after you, the people who did the crime, but also people covered up and enabled the people who do the crime. and that is so important as well. so down the line, future girls are protected. future girls are line, futur