Telford council leader ‘would welcome opportunity to be involved in national CSE inquiry’ as councillors clash in heated debate

Telford & Wrekin Council backed a motion presented by leader Lee Carter to do “everything it can to provide the best possible local response to tackling this horrific and heinous crime” following a rancorous debate.

But Councillor Carter’s motion, discussed at full council on Thursday, July 17, noted three “previous Conservative Government” failures on the issue, including “failure to establish a standalone Inquiry with statutory powers in Telford in 2018".

Labour members insisted the motion was not political but was fact-based.

Conservatives hit back with their own attack on the Labour-led council, saying that it was them who had ‘forced’ the administration into holding its own inquiry in 2018 after being asked for help to call an extraordinary council meeting by a national journalist.

A councillor who is also a mother of two made a plea to “forget this political football” and make sure the victims are being looked after.

“I’m a new councillor here,” said Councillor Rachael Tyrrell (Conservative, Priorslee). “I don’t have the history and knowledge that a lot of you do, so I am speaking as a mother of two daughters.

“I’m thinking back three years ago to when that report was published and I read all of it.

“Can we just take this back to the victims and the survivors?”

She added: “Forget this political football because I am a little tired of it.”

But Conservative Councillor Nigel Dugmore (Muxton) spoke of being a “little weary” of this “holier-than-thou attitude from this administration".

He recalled councillors saying a national inquiry was “not necessary” here in Telford.

But Councillor Dugmore added that he “welcomed with open arms” that individuals will “finally have to give evidence under oath to justify their inactions".

Council cabinet member Shirley Reynolds (Labour, Wrockwardine Wood & Trench) said: “If the Conservative group wish to re-write history or cast this as partisan they should first look to their own record, not to deflect blame but to take accountability and finally start standing with victims and survivors.”

But former Tory council leader Andrew Eade (Church Aston & Lilleshall) blasted the Labour administration for choosing to “politicise the exploitation of children".

He attacked Keir Starmer’s Government for being “forced kicking and screaming into a huge U-turn by Baroness Casey’s report”.

But Councillor Carter (Labour, Arleston & College) quoted the landmark Casey review which he said supported the council and “put to bed this myth that it ducked responsibility".

The council has newly published a timeline of child sexual exploitation work on its website. 

Councillor Carter also added that the report the council commissioned itself has issues that need “further investigation”.

But he said the Crowther report published in 2022 was “among the best in the country”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Thomas Janke supported the Carter motion, saying that the issue of CSE is a “stain on our nation” which exposed “systematic failure”.

“This is not about party manifestos or finger pointing but for uncomfortable reflection,” he added.