Former PM Keir Starmer is named a 'core participant' in the grooming gangs inquiry he once resisted

Former PM Sir Keir Starmer has been granted core participant status in the grooming gangs inquiry, entitling him to enhanced rights over disclosed material and leaving open the prospect of being called to give evidence when hearings open in December. He had initially maintained that existing reviews should be acted on rather than revisited. He ordered a full statutory inquiry only after criticism mounted, including a high-profile public dispute involving Elon Musk. Baroness Anne Longfield chairs the inquiry, which has a £65 million budget over three years.

The inquiry has legal powers to compel witnesses to appear and to order organisations to hand over documents.

Holding core participant status carries no guarantee of being asked to testify, though many who hold it are subsequently called or compelled to do so.

The inquiry is looking at failures across London, Birmingham, Bradford, Keighley, Oldham and parts of Wales.