"It's a mess. And it is extraordinarily difficult. To give you a sense of that, one of the candidates to rule themselves out of chairing the grooming gangs inquiry is Jim Gamble. Gamble's career goes like this: he worked in policing in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. And then he spent years working to protect children from exploitation. Neither are roles for the faint hearted, to put it lightly. And yet not even he wanted to take on chairing this inquiry."
"There is a reluctant acceptance in government that finding someone who is willing to do it, will last the course and will be universally accepted among the victims as the right person for the job is almost certainly impossible. Little wonder then that those in government are making it known they are willing to spend months finding the right person to do it. The best they can hope for, in all likelihood, is someone backed enthusiastically by some and tolerated by others."
Finding a suitable chair for the grooming gangs inquiry has proven extremely difficult, as even experienced figures have declined. Jim Gamble, who worked in Northern Ireland policing and later protected children from exploitation, ruled himself out. Government accepts that appointing someone who will last, meet the victims' approval and be universally accepted is almost impossible, and expects a prolonged search. Officials hope for a candidate enthusiastically backed by some and tolerated by others. Senior sources warn that any person with expertise will carry perceived baggage. A dispute has arisen over whether Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips should remain after some victims sought her replacement, and most recruited victims have remained silent.
Read at www.bbc.com
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