and this week, it emerged 0ldham council's calls for a government—led inquiry into grooming gangs ins not good enough. you know, these children, all i want for my child is justice, and they are denying it without even speaking to victims. i'd love to speak to any of these i officials face to face so we canl show them what we need in 0ldham if a national inquiry _ continues to be refused. do you feel like your voice has ever been heard in 0ldham? no, not at all. it never has. those that are spreading lies and misinformation... under pressure and under attack on social media. intimidation and threats of violence... the prime minister defended not only his government's decision, but also his safeguarding minister, jess phillips. what would you want to say to keir starmer? it's nothing to do with racism or tommy robinson. it's about the victims, the survivors. i'd like to speak to him because hopefully i'd be able to change his mind. i'm very disappointed and angry with him. he's basically saying we're all far right. he needs to come and sit and speak with victims. i can't even watch any

crucially with national backing but this matters because it was brought to the fore again after 0ldham councile office support them with an office support them with an investigation into this issue of grooming gangs stop that request was rejected by the home office at the time which sparked a huge wave of calls for national inquiry into the issue and the conservatives, the parties, reform and elon musk wading into the debate on social media. the government position is they did not think there should be a national inquiry and said there had been a suite of investigations in the interview including a report by alexis jay which reported back in 2022 and ministers claimed they thought the focus should be on implementing the recommendations of that report. it seems there has been a slight shift in position and we will hear more from yvette cooper in the next few minutes, but the focus we are told is about locally led inquiries but with national backing, similar to what the labour mp for rotherham, sarah champion, has called for and she says there needs to be more investigation and a level of accoun

individual towns where it is asked for, because of course this all grew out of a request from 0ldham councilt led one, but it would back an independent inquiry that was done locally, and that is the strategy it says it is sticking to. the question is going to be whether this building pressure, this mounting pressure, from opposition parties and others to try to get a national inquiry, moves the government any closer towards doing that. at this stage, they are adamant, we have heard bridget phillipson, the education secretary come out this morning saying it is not necessary, that actually the best way to help victims of this kind of exploitation is to put in place of the recommendations that came out of a seven year national inquiry into the wider issue of child sex abuse which was carried out by professor alexis j. there was carried out by professor alexisj. there were a series of recommendations from that which have not yet been fully implement it, and what the government is saying is that the better thing to do would be to make sure that those iron fermented, and of course the government i

and last year, 0ldham council called for a public inquiry into grooming, but was told to commission aford. ed thomas has more from 0ldham. for decades, grooming gangs and the failures of those meant to protect children have shamed towns and 0ldham is no different. and i'm answering that directly because i want that... it's divided local politics. you haven't answered the question. apologies by the council and police have come and gone, and... for that i am truly sorry. but still, many here believe the full story is yet to be told. i think it's all been covered up. and will we ever get to know the truth? do you feel like there's more still to be heard? oh, 100%, yeah. it has been looked into in 0ldham, hasn't it? no, not as far as i'm concerned. as a mother and a grandmother. no. it's been swept under the carpet for years. do you support a national inquiry? 100%. why is that? because it's disgraceful. in 2022, an independent report found that greater manchester police and 0ldham councilfailed to protect children from grooming and sexual exploitation. this report heard from one child wh

phillips, on the road to meetjess phillips, the safeguarding minister, to ask why she rejected 0ldham council'sent led inquiry into abuse in the town. i want her to listen to survivors, look at it from our point of view. and what is the one thing you will say to jess phillips? please give us a government say tojess phillips? please give us a government inquiry. we need _ please give us a government inquiry. we need this. from morning to afternoon, separate survivors and victim support workers from 0ldham. coming to birmingham to meetjess phillips. hello. nice to meet you. and _ hello. nice to meet you. and at— hello. nice to meet you. and at the _ hello. nice to meet you. and at the same - hello. nice to meet you. and at the same time, . hello. nice to meet you. and at the same time, a| hello. nice to meet you. _ and at the same time, a government announcement in the commons. action on grooming gangs. relief for some. none of the survivors we have been speaking to new this was happening today. the home secretary announcing a new national rapid audit of grooming gangs, examining the ethnic backg

ms phillips a "rape genocide apologist" after it emerged that she had declined a request from 0ldham counciln. a 14—year—old boy has been stabbed to death on a double—decker bus in what police have described as a horrendous crime. the victim was killed on the 472 bus on woolwich church street in southeast london at around 2:30pm on tuesday afternoon. he died at the scene shortly after paramedics arrived. the uk set for more freezing weather as homes and businesses deal with flooding. snow and ice caused disruption to travel. more than 110 flood warnings remain in place in england, that includes one severe danger to life warning that are seen barrow upon soar in leicestershire. you are alive with bbc news. metaverse says it will catch less bad stuff on facebook and instagram as it relaxes on policies contained users can post. it says it will stop using independent fact checkers, instead using a variation of community notes. currently used on x for the accuracy of post. donald trump accused fact checkers are being buys. lastly meta announced the resignation of the formally deftly promised of t