Overview

• Labour Cabinet minister Lucy Powell referred to the grooming gangs scandal as a 'dog whistle' issue during a BBC Radio 4 program, prompting widespread backlash.
• Powell has since apologized, clarifying that she takes child exploitation seriously and was criticizing political point-scoring, not the issue itself.
• Opposition politicians, including Conservatives and Reform UK, have called for Powell’s resignation, accusing her of disrespecting victims of systemic abuse.
• The UK government continues to reject calls for a full statutory inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal, opting instead to await Baroness Casey’s audit findings.
• The scandal, involving the abuse of thousands of children by predominantly Pakistani heritage gangs, has drawn renewed attention following a recent Channel 4 documentary.