Opinion: How Labour Turned a Grooming Gang Inquiry Into a Political Game...

How Labour’s Jonathan Brash voted down a grooming inquiry — and now blames “right-wing lies”, "Bots" & Even "Dodgy Websites" for the backlash.

22nd June 2025

Labour councillor Jonathan Brash has published another puff-piece in the Hartlepool Mail, and this time it’s not just insulting to readers intelligence – but downright dangerous.

In his latest article, Brash paints himself as a victim of “right-wing lies” and “social media bots” whilst defending his record on child protection. He says people are twisting his vote in Parliament and accuses critics of spreading “disgraceful” misinformation. But here’s the problem: Brash thinks the public are too stupid to understand how politics works.

Brash admits he voted against a reasoned amendment that called for a national inquiry into child grooming scandal. That’s a fact. He claims it was just a “gesture” – a symbolic move – and not a real commitment to action. But that’s rich coming from a man who’s built his entire political career on symbolism over substance. This comes from a man who claimed years ago...."The Fight for Hartlepool Hospital is Over"..... only to champion for the services lost at the hospital to be brought back when it suited his political career path...

What Did Brash `Actually Vote Against?

The amendment in question, whatever its limitations, was a chance to send a message that Parliament takes child exploitation seriously – not tomorrow, & not in five years time, but right now.

Instead, Brash and his Labour colleagues chose to dismiss it, claiming it was nothing more than a political stunt by the Tories and Reform UK.

It wasn’t just a stunt. It was an opportunity. If Labour were serious about stopping grooming gangs and holding institutions to account, they could’ve backed the inquiry and strengthened the bill later. Instead, they themselves chose to play party politics.

Brash’s justification? The bill also included provisions like free school breakfasts and cheaper uniforms – as if those proposals can’t survive scrutiny without being held hostage to Labour’s opposition to anything with the word “grooming” in it.

The Real Political Games

Brash claims he made the “right call.” But who decides what’s “right”?

Because if you ask the victims of child sexual exploitation – many of them failed for decades by councils, police, and social workers– I doubt they’d agree.

Let’s not forget, it was Labour councils up and down the country – Rotherham, Rochdale – who were central to covering up grooming scandals. And it was Labour councillors, just like Brash was, who looked the other way, too afraid to confront the truth for fear of being called 'racist' or upsetting the "community balance."

Now, Brash has the audacity to accuse others of playing political games?

Media Protection and Narrative Control

Brash’s article appears in a local newspaper is just what his left leaning Labour readers want to read & published in a Left Wing Extremist newspaper that’s never met a Labour press release it didn’t like. They quite happily print Brash's self-righteous disjointed ramblings without question, but where’s their coverage of the real issues?

Where are the hard questions about Labour’s record on grooming gangs?

Where was this local newspapers coverage of a Sexual Assault Scandal allegedly occurring in Hartlepool back in the 1990s ?

Where’s the investigation into local failures – of council officials, housing providers, or social workers – who might still be letting vulnerable children down?

And why is Brash more outraged by “headlines and hashtags” than he is about victims of abuse?

Don’t Let Him Gaslight You

Brash’s whole argument rests on the assumption that you don’t understand how Parliament works. But you do. You do understand that when a politician votes down a motion calling for action, they’re rejecting that action – plain and simple.

You understand that excuses don’t protect children – accountability does.

And you understand that when politicians spend more time attacking the people highlighting abuse than they do the people committing it, something has gone badly wrong.

Jonathan Brash wants you to believe the real danger is “right-wing lies.” & "Dodgy Websites" (We must assume thats a poke at publications like us) But the real danger is Brash himself, career politicians who deflect, deny, and then demonise the public whenever they're questioned.

He says, “don’t fall for it.”...... Agreed !

Don’t fall for Brash’s moral grandstanding. Don’t fall for Labour’s rewriting of history. And don’t fall for a local media machine that works harder to protect Labours reputation than to protecting victims.