Minister called a 'liar' as third survivor quits grooming gangs inquiry

The government's national inquiry into grooming gangs has been accused of "descending into chaos", with Home Office minister Jess Phillips being called a "liar" for disputing allegations that the inquiry is being diluted. 

It comes after three survivors resigned from the inquiry's liaison panel, while a frontrunner to chair it has also pulled out of the process.

Fiona Goddard and Ellie Reynolds, two prominent survivors, resigned from the panel over the last 48 hours, expressing concerns about how the process was being handled.

A third, known as Elizabeth - which is not her real name - followed on Tuesday afternoon.

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Some of their fears centred around the perceived prospect of the inquiry's remit being broadened beyond group-based sexual abuse.

Many victims want it to focus on the specifics of grooming gangs and potential racial or religious motivations behind their abuse, rather than looking at child sexual abuse and exploitation in the round.

Ms Phillips, the Home Office minister, had dismissed these fears as "untrue".

Ms Goddard responded to say: "This is a lie", and later called for Phillips to step down from her position.

In an attempt to allay concerns, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood wrote in the Times to say "this inquiry will focus on grooming gangs - and that will not change."

She also said it "will explicitly examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders."

Fiona Goddard's original resignation letter, which Sky News published extracts from on Monday, cited a "toxic, fearful environment" and "condescending and controlling language" used towards survivors.

Ms Goddard also expressed deep reservations about the shortlisted chairs for the inquiry. Her resignation came after Sky News revealed the two leading candidates were former police chief Jim Gamble and social worker Annie Hudson, who were due to meet the survivors panel on Tuesday, before Ms Hudson withdrew from the running.

Some survivors expressed concern that the two candidates' backgrounds in policing and social work might lead to conflicts of interest.

(c) Sky News 2025: Minister called a 'liar' as third survivor quits grooming gangs inquiry