Express editor calls out Sadiq Khan on GB News over London grooming scandal: 'Clear it up'

The Daily Express investigations editor Zak Garner-Purkis has made a passionate challenge to London Mayor Sadiq Khan tonight to address the growing grooming gang scandal in London and "clear up" why he has not addressed the issue.

Sadiq Khan has been accused of allegedly covering up evidence of grooming gangs in London after an Express investigation. The Mayor of London read reports of young girls being raped in hotels by groups of men while publicly denying there were any grooming gangs in the capital. The children were also plied with drugs and had their lives threatened, evidence uncovered by the Express and MyLondon shows

The Metropolitan Police made a stunning U-turn on Monday by admitting for the first time it has a "very significant number" of grooming gang investigations after being presented with the findings of an Express and MyLondon investigation. The Mayor of London has yet to comment on the Met's U-turn. Speaking about the Home Office's grooming gangs review in June he said there was "no indication" that any of the cases were in the capital.

Appearing tonight on GB News with Patrick Christys, Mr Garner-Purkis said: "I have spent the past month reading report after report, the cases... they are horrific... I don't understand how you can read those reports and then stand up, the threshold that Sadiq Khan has set... his line is there is no indication, that is a very low bar...

"How can you be so confident? and how can you have read those reports, I've read them, they are still stuck in my head, how are they not stuck in his? I don't understand how any human being can read those reports and not be affected. There's got to be something seriously wrong with you."

Speaking to the camera, an impassioned Mr Garner-Purkis said: "Sadiq, tell us. What he has done today is he's posted something about Diwali and he has not addressed this, clear it up, if you've got an explanation for it, clear it up."

Grooming gang whistleblower Maggie Oliver told the Express that the cases followed "the same pattern" she had seen with Greater Manchester Police's cover-up of the Rochdale scandal. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP, accused Khan of being part of a "cover-up" and called for accountability.

He said: "It is shameful that the Mayor of London is claiming to have no indication that grooming gangs are operating in London despite personally responding to reports containing evidence of victims abused by grooming gangs in the city. It is clear Sadiq Khan is facilitating a cover up."

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "We understand the very real concern the public have around so-called grooming gangs and treat all allegations of sexual offences and exploitation extremely seriously.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London provided a single overarching statement that said: "The Mayor has always been clear that the safety of Londoners is his top priority and nowhere is this truer than in safeguarding children.

Earlier today (Monday) a survivor of child sexual abuse has quit her role in the national grooming gangs inquiry, citing a "toxic, fearful environment" and a "high risk of people feeling silenced all over again".

In a resignation letter on Monday, Fiona Goddard said the process so far had involved "secretive conduct" with instances of "condescending and controlling language" used towards survivors.

Ms Goddard also expressed concern about the candidates shortlisted to chair the inquiry, one of whom is reportedly a former police chief and the other a social worker.

"This is a disturbing conflict of interest and I fear the lack of trust in services from years of failings and corruption will have a negative impact in survivor engagement with this inquiry," she said.

"Having a police officer or social worker leading the inquiry would once again be letting services mark their own homework, the shortlisting of these potential chairs shows the Government's complete lack of understanding of the level of corruption and failings involved in this scandal."