CROWTHER AND THE WHITEWASH IN WAITING:
Yesterday, at the Home Affairs Select Committee,Tom Crowther KC testified how Oldham Council leaders had bypassed the Home Office and proceeded with their own non-statutory inquiry and appointed him as chair. This is despite every councillor in Oldham having voted to write to the Home Secretary demanding a Public Inquiry.
Worse, his evidence exposed critical differences from his Telford model and what Arooj Shah (Council leader) and Shelly Kipling (Chief Executive) have instigated in Oldham.
A FATALLY COMPROMISED FOUNDATION
In Telford, Crowther was appointed independently. The entire structure of the Telford inquiry was built on this essential foundation: the person leading the investigation was selected without interference from the very institutions being investigated.
In Oldham? They've completely abandoned this core principle.
The Council itself appointed Crowther as chair. The same Council that will be under investigation chose who would investigate them! This fundamental flaw destroys the independence of the entire process before it even begins.
And it gets worse...
While they've appointed Crowther as chair, the Council itself is handpicking the solicitors who will conduct the actual day-to-day investigation.
They've even selected the witness support team - a local community organisation Keeping Our Girls Safe (KOGS) that the Council and Greater Manchester Police themselves fund. An organisation that, despite their claims, has little, if any, experience in this type of work.
This is like being accused of a crime and getting to choose who investigates you, who prosecutes you, AND who can be called as witnesses! They've hand-picked the judge, selected the prosecutor, and are influencing who can testify!
THE FUNDING QUESTION
When questioned about resources, Crowther's answers were damning. The Telford inquiry, which uncovered decades of abuse, he dmits cost £5 million. That level of funding was necessary to do the job properly. To leave no stone unturned. To follow every lead. To hear every victim. Apparently, 'gold standard'.
For everywhere else? Cooper announced £5 million to be spread across five pilot areas. However, remember, Oldham's inquiry is now not part of the Home Office five. So where is the money coming from? How much is being made available? Crowther testified he has no idea what his budget actually is or where he will have to cut corners?
How do you plan an investigation when you don't know if you can afford to interview all victims? Or hire enough staff? Or examine all the evidence?
When you starve an investigation of resources, you guarantee it will fail.
DIY TERMS OF REFERENCE
An even more damning revelation?
Oldham Council is creating terms of reference completely independent of the national framework Crowther was supposed to develop this but hasn't been allowed to. This means Oldham gets to decide:
- What gets investigated
- Who gets investigated
- How far back they look
- Which victims get heard
- What questions can be asked
They're setting the rules for their own investigation! Does any of this sound familiar?
The Telford inquiry uncovered thirty years of systematic abuse and failure because it had proper independence, funding, and scope.
The Oldham "inquiry" is designed to find as little as possible whilst checking a box that says "we investigated."
THE SHAMEFUL STATE OF AFFAIRS
Perhaps the most telling indictment of this entire charade is that three months after Cooper's grand announcement, we still don't even know which towns and cities are being investigated.
Oldham, yes. But the other pilot areas? Complete mystery.
We do know one thing: Bradford, a city with one of the most notorious histories of child sexual exploitation, is NOT on the list. That alone speaks volumes about the Government's true commitment to tackling this crisis.
So here we are. Three months on. No framework. No clarity on which areas are being investigated. An inquiry in Oldham that lacks independence, proper funding, and transparent terms. Where even their expert has been sidelined, ignored, and reduced to commenting on others' work rather than leading it as promised.
This isn't justice. This isn't accountability. This is damage control masquerading as concern for victims. And our children deserve better.
Full analysis to follow...
For those new to me, I'm Raja Miah MBE. I spent six years leading a small team that exposed how Labour Party politicians protected Pakistani Rape Gangs and exchanged working class White girls for votes.
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