Downing Street and the Home Office have indicated they intend to keep Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips in post, despite escalating tensions around the national inquiry into child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs in England and Wales. Ministers are working to stabilise the process after a group of survivors resigned from the inquiry’s panel and called for the minister’s removal.
Four members of the survivors’ panel - Fiona Goddard, Ellie Reynolds and two panellists publicly known as ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Jess’ - have stepped down in recent days. They argue that trust has been damaged and say they would only return if Phillips is replaced. Another survivor, identified as Carly from Huddersfield, has said she wishes to remain engaged but also believes a change of minister is necessary.
A separate cohort of survivors led by Samantha Walker‑Roberts has written to the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary setting out seven conditions for their continued support, including that Phillips stays. Their letter credits the minister with listening to feedback, providing continuity and bringing experience on violence against women and girls, and urges that she remain in post for the duration of the process.
The panel’s size and composition have been the subject of uncertainty. Broadcast reporting suggests the panel initially comprised around 30 members - more than previously stated - with at least 20 involved at the start of the process. That range is reflected in differing views about public advocacy, the inquiry’s direction and its leadership.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer invited the four former panellists to re‑join and reiterated that he wants to get the process right. He said the inquiry will not be watered down, that its scope will remain unchanged, and that it will examine the ethnicity and religion of offenders. The government has also restated that the inquiry will have powers to compel witnesses.
The leadership of the inquiry remains unresolved. The government had hoped to appoint former Northern Ireland senior police officer and child‑protection specialist Jim Gamble as chair, but he has publicly declined to be considered. Officials now expect the appointment process to take months and say they will re‑engage with victims and survivors to understand the qualities they want in a chair before making a final selection.
Without a confirmed chair, early operational decisions - such as final procedures for evidence‑taking and scheduling - cannot be settled. Ministers insist they will move quickly, but acknowledge that appointing the right individual and rebuilding confidence with survivors will take time. A government source has described urgent steps to identify a new candidate while maintaining dialogue with those affected.
The dispute has been sharpened by public statements over whether the inquiry’s scope might be widened. The group pressing for a change of minister accuses Phillips of undermining their concerns by disputing reports about potential changes to scope. Those supporting the minister argue that she has remained impartial and focused on process, and that continuity will help maintain momentum.
Senior figures acknowledge that survivors of sexual abuse have been let down repeatedly by public bodies, making trust fragile. The government’s message is that the inquiry’s mandate and powers remain intact and that survivor engagement will continue. The immediate test is whether dialogue over the coming weeks can bring the resigning panellists back while the search for a chair proceeds.
For departments and agencies likely to be called to give evidence, ministers are signalling a process with powers to compel witnesses and a survivors’ panel embedded in design. For survivor groups, the near‑term priorities are the criteria for selecting a chair, clarity on scope and assurance that participation will shape the inquiry’s direction.