A council has joined calls for the government to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation. At a full council meeting, North Northamptonshire Council urged the government to address concerns about perceived institutional shortcomings in tackling the crimes.

You can almost smell the panic. Every Left-wing activist and pundit is frantically trying to defend Labour’s refusal to hold a full national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.

The Reform UK leader repeated his demands for a national inquiry at his party’s north-west regional conference on Saturday.

An attempt by the Conservatives to have the government set up a national inquiry into grooming gangs has been voted down by 364 votes to 111 votes, a margin of 253. The amendment was attached to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which would have been killed had the vote passed.

The amendment to Labour’s flagship Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill received 111 Ayes and 364 Noes, majority 253.