The leader of the Chamber of the Commons, Lucy Powell, has tried to clarify her comments after she seemed to describe the toilet gangs as a “dog whistle” problem, which caused a reaction of political opponents.
Duration A heated debate about BBC Radio 4S Any question on Friday, the commentator and member of Reform UK, Tim Montgomerie, asked Powell if he had seen a recent documentary of channel 4 about preparation gangs.
Powell replied “Oh, we want to fly that little trumpet now, we” and “let’s make that dog whistle.”
But on Saturday, the Labor Minister said he considered the exploitation and preparation of children with the “greater seriousness,” and added: “I’m sorry if this was uncle.”
Powell said: “I was challenging the political point that scored it, not the issue itself. As a deputy of Constitution, I have dealt with horrific cases.”
Duration The political debate program was asked Montgomerie about the promise of reform uk to replicate the efficiency department of the Trump administration (Doge) administration, even by reducing the diversity and the roles of inclusion Witcestems, after its.
Montgomerie said the United Kingdom was “one of the most tolerant [countries] In the world “, but he argued that” there should always be more progress in racial issues. “
He said: “It is not so much the amount of money that is spent on using diversity officers.
“You talk to many public officials, the amount of time that now has to pass by monitoring this problem [of diversity] Above all others there is an extraordinary deviation. “
Powell described his statements as “absolutely garbage”, and told Montgomerie that it was and spent a day with the council staff to “really see what they are dealing with.”
Montgomerie then asked Powell if “he saw the documentary in Channel 4 about the rape gangs”, to which he replied: “Oh, we want to fly that little trumpet now.
Channel 4 launched Groomed: National Scandal earlier this week.
The documentary presents five women who tell the abuse they suffered at the hands of the gang gangs, which said they revealed failures by the police and social services.
He developed the reaction of several high -profile conservative figures, including the former Secretary of the Interior, Sala Braverman, and former Prime Minister Liz Truss. The conservative leader KEMI Badenoch has asked for a national investigation into the toilet gangs.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Wednesday that there had already been an investigation, the recommendations of which his government would implement. He told Parliament that work was “delivering truth and justice for victims.”
The baroness of Labor Pares, Hazarika, said she was “disgusted” by “disgusting” stories of preparation gangs, adding: “Many of us in the Muslim community are as horrified as any other person.”
After Friday’s exchange on any question, the Secretary of the Interior of the Shadows, Chris Philp, asked Powell to give up his comments, which said “belittled thousands of girls who were raped by preparation gangs.”
Robert Jenrick, Shadow Chancellor Lord, said Powell’s comments were “an unpleasant betrayal of the victims.”
A reform UK spokesman said that Powell’s “abhorred comments really demonstrate how to contact the Labor Party.”
He continued: “She does not seriously take the massive violation of the girls of the Pakistani men. The mask has slipped.
“After the comments of the thesis, Keir Starmer should consider if Lucy Powell is in a position to serve.”
Powell said the comments were made “in the heat of an argument” and that the government was “acting to reach the truth and deliver justice.”
The BBC understands that Downing Street accepts Powell’s apology and his explanation that his comments did not reflect his views on the subject.
