SEXUAL abuse victims became a Westminster football today as party leaders squabbled over whether to hold a national inquiry into the grooming scandal.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told MPs that the Tory push for an official probe was unnecessary and risked wrecking government legislation aimed at boosting child protection.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, with online backing from far-right tech billionaire Elon Musk, demanded a national inquiry into grooming gangs and persisted with Commons amendments to initiate one.

MPs were set to vote on the proposal last night but were certain to reject it, given the government’s huge majority.

That will not be the end of the matter, however, since Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the government was keeping an “open mind” on the possibility of such an inquiry in the future.

But at present Labour is insisting that the focus should be on remedial recommendations from the previous investigation by Professor Alexis Jay, which have hitherto been gathering dust.

It also says it will support local inquiries by councils in areas touched by the scandal, which saw thousands of girls and women abused by grooming gangs, often largely composed of men of Pakistani heritage.

The spokesman said that Sir Keir’s position was that “what we have heard from our engagement with victims’ and survivors’ groups is they want to see action. That is why we are focused on following up the recommendations of Alexis Jay and taking the actions we need to deliver justice.

“We will always remain open-minded. We will always listen to local authorities who want to take forward inquiries.”

In Commons exchanges during PMQs today, both party leaders claimed to be speaking on behalf of the abuse victims, yet mainly focussed on scoring points off each other.

Each cited the views of abuse victims and survivors whose opinions on the desirability of an inquiry corresponded with their own.

Sir Keir spent a lot of time talking up his own record of gang prosecutions  as head of the Crown Prosecution Service prior to entering politics. He also slammed Ms Badenoch for never having raised the issue previously.

She had “been an MP for eight years, her party have been in government for seven-and-a-half of those eight years.

“She was the children’s minister. She was the women’s equalities minister. I can’t recall her once raising this issue in the house, once calling for a national inquiry.”

Ms Badenoch responded by telling the Premier that “it’s not about you, it’s about the victims. Be a leader, not a lawyer.

“We know that people were scared to tell the truth because they thought they’d be called racist. If we want to stop this from ever happening again, we cannot be afraid.”

The Tory leader also could not resist scratching her favourite itch by using the occasion to warn against adopting an official definition of Islamophobia.

Muslim Council of Britain general secretary Zara Mohammed denounced Ms Badenoch for “the cynical exploitation of child protection issues to demonise British Muslims.

“Ms Badenoch’s comments represent a new low in the Conservative Party’s persistent refusal to tackle anti-Muslim prejudice within its ranks.”

The Conservatives and Reform have both tabled amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill urging an inquiry. 

The Tory amendment was to be voted on — in the unlikely event of it being passed, it would cause the whole Bill to fall.

Sir Keir appealed to Tory backbenchers not to follow their leader, saying: “Whatever anyone’s view on whether a further inquiry is needed, what I find shocking is that anyone in this house would vote down the Children’s Wellbeing Bill this afternoon, [which provides] vital protections for the most vulnerable in our society.”

The Tories hit back by producing a poster parodying a notorious attack Sir Keir’s Labour launched against then-premier Rishi Sunak in 2023, accusing him falsely of opposing imprisoning those guilty of sex crimes against children.

The Tory advert, alongside a picture of the Prime Minister, asks: “Do you think there should be an inquiry into rape gangs? Keir Starmer doesn’t.”

The only near-consensus in the Commons was when Sir Keir took aim at Reform boss Nigel Farage for backing Mr Musk, only to see the latter demand that the party ditch him as leader.