Javid backs MP over grooming gangs row
A CABINET minister led an outcry from MPs, campaigners and the public yesterday after a Labour MP who spoke out over Pakistani men and grooming gangs was forced to quit.
Sarah Champion resigned from the Shadow Cabinet on Wednesday after she wrote that the UK had a ‘problem’ with British Pakistani men abusing white girls.
Yesterday Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, who is from a Pakistani background, wrote on Twitter: ‘Corbyn wrong to sack Sarah Champion. We need an honest open debate on child sexual exploitation, including racial motivation.’
There was also criticism from within the Labour Party that Miss Champion – who has campaigned for years about grooming in her Rotherham constituency – had to quit as shadow women and equalities minister.
Meanwhile, a poll found that the public support Miss Champion for speaking out. YouGov said that 39 per cent of people believed she had ‘raised awareness of the issue in the right way and should have stuck to her guns’.
Another 31 per cent said she was ‘right to try to raise awareness of the issue’ – but the way she went about it was ‘counterproductive’.
Only 13 per cent said she had ‘misrepresented’ the issue and ‘wrongly demonised a section of British society’.
But yesterday Jeremy Corbyn denied there was any ‘problem’ specifically with Pakistani men and abuse, saying: ‘The problem is the crime that’s committed against women from any community.’
It is believed the Labour leader told Miss Champion she would be sacked from the Shadow Cabinet on Wednesday if she refused to resign over her article in The Sun five days before. It came after 17 men were convicted of forcing girls in Newcastle to have sex.
Amina Lone, a Muslim who is a former Labour parliamentary candidate, told BBC2’s Newsnight: ‘I think she’s been punished and used as a scapegoat because as a politician she’s an easy target.’
The co-director of the Social Action and Research Foundation later wrote on Twitter: ‘I grew up in a Muslim community where these attitudes were common.
‘“White girls are easy”, “Nobody cares about them”, “They are just slags”, “Their parents don’t look after them properly” etc were/are still said today. Sarah Champion was talking about a particular type of grooming which is carried out by men because of their cultural/religious practices. Obviously not all men. She is not a racist but a brave woman speaking out about a politically awkward issue.’
Labour MPs also expressed disappointment. Barry Sheerman wrote: ‘I don’t understand the forced resignation of Sarah Champion and nor will my constituents.’
But Mr Corbyn told radio station LBC: ‘I think she was right to step down. In her words, she said, her continued presence there would be a distraction. We cannot demonise whole communities or whole groups of people because of the actions of some people.’
Asked if Rotherham, Rochdale and Newcastle showed there was a ‘particular problem’ with Pakistani men, Mr Corbyn replied: ‘The problem is the crime that is committed against women from any community. Much crime is committed by white people, crime is committed by people of other communities as well. I think it is wrong to designate an entire community as the problem.’
Comment – Page 16
‘She’s been used as a scapegoat’