Decision

BRADFORD DISTRICT AND THE STATUTORY INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO GROOMING GANGS

The Motion as published was moved by Councillor Poulsen and seconded by Councillor Sullivan.

In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4 and 18.8 an amendment (additional published papers Amendment A) was moved by Councillor Birch and seconded by Councillor Morgan.

In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4 and 18.8 a second amendment (additional published papers Amendment B) was moved by Councillor Imran Khan and seconded by Councillor Fricker.

In accordance with Council Standing Order 18.10 Councillor Poulsen as the mover of the Motion with the consent of Councillor Birch as the mover of Amendment A agreed to incorporate Amendment A into the Motion.

Following a number of speakers. Councillor Poulsen in accordance with Council Standing Order 9.1.7 sought the meeting’s permission to include the last bullet point of the resolution of the original Motion in the amended Motion. This was seconded by Cllr Wheatley. This was voted on and was carried.

Resolved:

That the last bullet point of the resolution of the original Motion “To ensure victims and survivors receive all the necessary support they need to help re-build their lives.” be included in the Amended Motion.

Cllr Khan proposed that the meeting be adjourned for further discussions with the Leaders of the Council Groups. This was seconded by Cllr Salam. This was put to the vote and was lost.  

In accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment B was put to the vote and lost. 

In accordance with Council Standing Order 25.3 Councillor Bolton-Williams requested a recorded vote which was supported.

In accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 the Motion as amended by Amendment A with the inclusion of the last bullet point of the resolution of the original Motion was put to a recorded vote and was carried.

Resolved-

That with the addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as follows:

Council notes:

·       Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) by Grooming Gangs are abhorrent crimes that target the most vulnerable in our communities and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all members of this Council.

·       It was over a year ago, on 14 June 2025 that the Labour Government announced a full statutory Independent Inquiry into “Grooming Gangs”, with Baroness Anne Longfield CBE appointed to chair the Inquiry on 9 December 2025. The Inquiry officially commenced on 13 April, and the criteria used to select local areas will be published by the Inquiry within three months of the formal start date and will be informed by a combination of factors including the experiences of victims and survivors, and evidence of prevalence, harm and risk.

·       The final terms of reference make clear that the Inquiry will examine what role ethnicity, religion and culture played in both the offending and the response of institutions such as Bradford Council.

·       CSE, including organised group-based exploitation and grooming, is not solely a historical issue but remains an active concern nationally and locally across the Bradford District.

·       For years, survivors and victims have called for a statutory inquiry, and have consistently stated that being heard, believed and seeing meaningful change in the response of authorities and their systems is as important as any formal finding of blame.

·       For many years, the previous Labour Leadership of the Council refused calls for a national inquiry and even said it would be not of additional value.

·       The correspondence sent by the new Leader of the Council, Councillor Place, to Baroness Longfield on 21 May 2026 formally requesting that Bradford District be included as a local area within the Independent Inquiry.

·       It is crucial that we send a strong united message as a Council to victims, survivors and the Independent Inquiry that Bradford District must be a selected local area.

·       Irrespective of whether Bradford District is selected as a local case study by the Independent Inquiry, the council and its partners have an ongoing duty and moral obligation to identify risk and prevent exploitation and to learn from historic failures to ensure robust protections for children today.

Council resolves:

·       For the Council to send a strong unified message to victims, survivors and the Independent Inquiry that Bradford District must be selected as a local area.

·       To commission a publicly reported review of the implementation of recommendations arising from previous local and national reviews and inspections affecting Bradford District, including identifying outstanding actions, reporting progress to Full Council, and setting out what further improvements are required to strengthen safeguarding arrangements.

·       To establish a cross-party mechanism, such as through the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, for regular oversight of the implementation of those actions, as well as inviting survivors and their representatives to help shape the council’s response to the Independent Inquiry and future safeguarding arrangements, ensuring that those with lived experience have a meaningful voice in the council’s future decision-making.

·       To confirm the Council’s commitment to ensuring that all public servants and elected members who were complicit in concealing the mass sexual abuse of children within the district and beyond, be identified and brought to justice, alongside those who they aided and abetted.

·       To request that the Leader of the Council write to Baroness Longfield reaffirming Bradford Council’s request for Bradford District’s inclusion in the Independent Inquiry with the support of Council.

·       To ensure victims and survivors receive all the necessary support they need to help re-build their lives.

To be actioned by:  Chief Executive/Acting Strategic Director Children’s Services/Director of Legal and Governance