Andy Burnham backs Baroness Longfield | Manchester News

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has rejected criticism of the newly announced chair of the national grooming gang inquiry.

Some sexual abuse survivors have questioned the appointment of former England Children’s Commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield due to her being a Labour peer. She has said, however, that she will give up the Labour whip in the House of Lords to lead the inquiry.

Labour mayor Burnham told Radio Manchester: “The time has come to just let this inquiry do its business.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the national inquiry would feature several local investigations, one of which will be in Oldham.

Burnham said: “Anne is a former children’s commissioner and when you’ve done that role you speak out fearlessly and independently.

“You’ve got another peer, Baroness Casey, who’s got affiliations to Labour – but no-one, I think, is accusing her of not having been independent when it comes to this crucial issue.

“So I think the time has come for everybody to not constantly read the politics into this, or indeed, use this issue for politics.”

Announcing Baroness Longfield’s appointment on Tuesday, Mahmood told the House of Commons she was determined to tackle the issue of grooming.

“We must root out this evil once and for all,” she told MPs.

The inquiry was derailed earlier this year when four women resigned from its survivors’ panel, and two leading candidates to chair the inquiry withdrew.

Baroness Longfield, who was appointed to the House of Lords in January, said she would resign the Labour whip to lead it.

Oldham Council has also welcomed her appointment.

The local authority also supported the fact that the town would be one of the first areas to be examined by the inquiry.

Council leader Arooj Shah said: “It is vital that survivors in Oldham finally have the chance to share their testimony in a way that is recognised, respected and heard.

“I have spoken directly with survivors, and they have been clear that they want answers about their own experiences and want their voices to shape national recommendations that will protect other children from harm.

“This inquiry must play a full role in helping to bring perpetrators to justice and in delivering accountability for the individuals and organisations that failed young people in the past.

“Oldham Council will fully support and cooperate with this work.”

Councillor Brian Hobin, from the Failsworth Independents, has also expressed his support for the inquiry, having campaigned for one for the last six years.

The opposition councillor said: “I’m very pleased at this moment in time that the government have finally appointed a chair and we can move on to start the inquiry that we’ve been campaigning for.

“The background of the chair has got to be put into the background now.

“She’s got to be allowed to take this inquiry forward.

“It’s a very difficult job – a lot of people would have turned it down.

“We need to have faith in this person going forward now to lead the inquiry.”