Monday’s front pages report on the prime minister’s announcement of an inquiry into grooming gangs – after previously ruling out such a move.
It’s a hot topic for the UK tabloids who have been demanding a national inquiry for months and months.
Sir Keir Starmer said he had accepted the recommendations of an audit by Baroness Louise Casey into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse.
Baroness Casey has recommended a national inquiry is required, he said. The inquiry will cover England and Wales.
For months, Sir Keir has faced criticism for not being willing to set one up.
The Daily Mail says Keir Starmer was in full retreat over grooming gangs last night as he called in ‘Britain’s FBI’ to investigate.
The Prime Minister was scrambling to appear decisive after resisting action on the scandal for months.
Sir Keir had accused those campaigning for a public inquiry into the rape and sexual abuse of thousands of girls by gangs of mainly Pakistani-heritage men of jumping on a ‘far-Right bandwagon’.
This headline uses combative, militaristic language—“FULL RETREAT”—to frame Starmer as weak or defeated. It simplifies a complex issue into a dramatic narrative of failure or backtracking. The mention of “grooming gangs” evokes strong public emotion, making it a classic example of tabloid-style framing aimed at stirring outrage and political blame.
The Daily Express reports Keir Starmer must apologise for “arrogantly and cowardly” refusing to listen to grooming gang victims after another humiliating u-turn, critics have declared.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned “we have already lost months” after the Prime Minister repeatedly rejected calls for a national inquiry into one of Britain’s most shameful scandals.
This headline uses imperative language—“SAY SORRY”—to demand accountability, creating a confrontational tone. The phrase “SEX GANGS PROBE” is stark and emotive, designed to provoke strong reactions. It’s a pressure tactic often used in tabloid media to publicly shame and intensify scrutiny on political figures or institutions.
The Times says a new public inquiry into grooming gangs will trigger and oversee local investigations in areas where there have been “failures and obstructions” by councils, the police and other institutions.
This headline takes a more measured, neutral tone. Words like “inquiry” and “swift justice” focus on process and outcomes rather than blame. It centres victims rather than politicians, a typical broadsheet approach aiming for seriousness and balance over sensationalism.
Manchester Evening News says after an unspeakably chaotic and troubled start to her life, it seemed as though she had turned a corner. Put up for adoption and spending time in children’s homes, all before the age of ten, ‘Girl B’ had an incredibly tough start.
It was those tragic circumstances which made her so vulnerable and such ripe prey for predators. But when she was placed with a new foster mum, a woman who was firm but fair and had her best interests at heart, Girl B had a strong ally to care for her.
This headline uses an ellipsis and quotation to convey emotion and outrage, suggesting betrayal and neglect. It implies systemic failure without naming anyone directly—an indirect but powerful framing technique. Common in human-interest or investigative reporting, it draws readers in through a voice of lived experience.
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