A SCOTTISH Labour MP voted down calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs – before demanding a Scottish probe when her party U-turned on the issue.
Joani Reid voted against Tory proposals to launch a national inquiry into the scandal in January, months before the Prime Minister reversed his earlier opposition to a national probe.
After a report by Baroness Casey recommended a national inquiry, Keir Starmer (below) backed one – having previously accused those calling for the measure of jumping on a far-right bandwagon.
She told the Daily Record: “It is vital Scotland is fully engaged with any statutory inquiry.”
The East Kilbride MP added: “If the Scottish Government does not intend to hold its own dedicated inquiry, we need clear reasons why – not the vague responses we’ve had so far.”
But it has since emerged that Reid voted against a national inquiry when one was proposed five months ago by the opposition.
The Tories tabled an amendment to Labour’s Children and Wellbeing Bill, which urged the Government to work towards “establishing a national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs”.
Reid was one of 350 Labour MPs who voted down that amendment on January 8 this year.
SNP MP Pete Wishart told The National Labour were “all over the place when it comes to a grooming gang inquiry”.
He said: “It is simply incredulous that a Scottish Labour MP insists that the Scottish Government follow the example of the UK on a grooming gang inquiry when she herself was not prepared to support a UK wide inquiry when it was voted on in Parliament.
“Labour are all over the place when it comes to a grooming gang inquiry. First they opposed one, then they backed it, now they insist that we join in with whatever position they have adopted this week.”
The SNP have previously argued against holding a focused grooming gangs inquiry, saying the issue falls within the scope of the wider and ongoing Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
Wishart added: “In Scotland we have our own Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry as well multi-agency Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group. In Scotland it is also the case that all healthcare and education already have a duty to report child abuse. The First Minister has also said that mandatory reporting is securing active consideration.”
Reid said: "Had I voted for the Tory motion on January 8, I would have been voting to kill the Child Safety Bill and I was not going to do that under any circumstance.
“Mr Wishart should check the terms of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry – it is banned from considering any cases from the last 11 years and it can only consider children in care. It plainly is not up to the job here as currently constituted.
"I don't know why Mr Wishart thinks it’s appropriate to turn the issue of child sexual abuse into an opportunity to score party political points."
