Bridget Phillipson hit out at the Conservatives over their plans to vote down Labour’s proposed legislation to increase protection for children this morning.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill intends to prevent vulnerable pupils from disappearing within the education system but the Tories want to vote against the plans.
They want to add an amendment to force the government to hold a new public inquiry into grooming gangs.
It comes as the opposition join tech billionaire Elon Musk in their attacks on Labour in a furious war of words.
The government is standing firm, and refusing to call a new probe into gang rape scandals, claiming now is the time to deliver the recommendations of a previous child abuse inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay, which reported in 2022.
Speaking to Sky News this morning, Phillipson said: “The Conservatives can back this, or as they’re proposing, can kill stone-dead this key landmark legislation.”
She said the Conservatives keep saying they care about keeping children safe, adding: “Well, they should put up or shut up, and vote for this legislation and do precisely that.
“Or is it all about grabbing a cheap headline and political opportunism?”
Labour say their bill has been in the works from the party’s time in opposition and was not motivated by Musk’s high-profile criticism.
The minister continued: “The bandwagon-jumpers who have come along in recent days, they don’t care about children.
“They don’t care about taking action and making sure we stop this. They’ve had years to do it. And they didn’t do it.
“And victims and children and survivors have been failed. So let’s just get on and do what is necessary to keep children safe in our country.”
Phillipson also dismissed suggestions that the Musk row has accelerated Labour’s action on the matter.
“I’m not interested in what he has to say,” she said, and said the government were already looking into Jay’s report before Musk’s attacks.
The cabinet minister then slammed the Tories again, claiming they “sat” on the Jay report for two years while they were in government – only to now describe inaction over children protection as a “national scandal”.
“Do they own a mirror? They are the very people who are responsible for the failure to act,” she said.
Touching on the Tories’ plan to vote against today’s child protection legislation, Phillipson added: “I thought there wasn’t a limit to how far they would sink. I was wrong.”
Labour do have a huge majority in parliament right now, meaning the Tories’ refusal to support their bill is unlikely to stop the legislation.
Conservative shadow education minister Neil O’Brien said: “The victims of the child rape gangs deserve justice. So many have never had their voices heard.”
The Tory MP continued: “Labour MPs now have a first chance to vote to give victims answers and justice, and pass an amendment that will make clear that the will of parliament is for a national inquiry.
“But if they fail to do so, the Conservatives will not back down, and will continue to amend the bill at every opportunity.
“Labour say local areas should hold their own inquiries. But they have had years to do that and have not. In many cases local officials were part of the cover up.
“So without a national inquiry many of the 40 or more places where this happened will never see justice. I hope Labour MPs will start to listen to their constituents and vote to do the right thing.”
The row over grooming gangs gained traction at the start of the month when Musk repeatedly criticised Keir Starmer and minister Jess Phillips for not doing enough to prosecute abusers on his social media platform X.
The prime minister took the unusual step to slap down the world’s richest man on Monday, saying, “a line has been crossed”.
Phillips also said on Tuesday night that Musk’s attacks on her have “turned my world upside down”.