Protestors attempt to ‘storm’ Andy Burnham HQ to demand chat with mayor

Protestors attempted to ‘storm’ Andy Burnham’s office on Monday (17 February) to demand an audience with the mayor over child sexual exploitation cases in Greater Manchester.

A group of ‘Million Women’ March campaigners gathered on the steps of Mr Burnham’s headquarters on Oxford Street, in Manchester, with some entering the building to call for the mayor’s backing of a statutory inquiry.

Attendees, which included survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE) from Rochdale and Oldham, claim they were told ‘no representative’ of Andy Burnham was available to speak to them.

The protest comes just days after Oldham Council voted to request a ‘statutory inquiry’ into its handling of grooming gangs. The council is already preparing what has been called a ‘Telford-style’ local review after the Home Office turned down a previous request for a government-led inquiry.

But statutory powers would mean the review could compel authorities to provide evidence and give witness statements, which the local review would not have the power to do.

 

 

While survivors and campaigners told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were ‘proud’ of the decision, many shared doubts that the government will take the call for a statutory inquiry seriously. Survivors who attended the protest said they were ‘sick of politicians speaking to politicians’ and wanted Andy Burnham and the police commissioner to hear directly from those affected.

Amelia, a survivor who has changed her name to protect her right to anonymity, said: “Nobody could come down and speak to us. It felt like an insult.

“It would’ve been nice for the Manchester mayor, the man who represents our city and the police commissioner to see how many ladies have joined together on this subject. You’ve got mums, grandmas, survivors crying at these protests because of the devastation this issue has brought to our lives.”

Footage from today’s protest shows a group chanting ‘justice for the children’ at the entrance to Burnham’s office. Some waved white roses and held placards that read ‘broken systems, broken trust – fix it now’ and ‘hold institutions to account’.

Another attendee described how the crowd ‘stormed’ the building’s entrance way and security ‘then locked the doors’. Protestors pressed their placards against the glass and left roses on the steps.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “We are aware of a protest that took place in Manchester City Centre on Monday (17 February).

“Since first elected in 2017, the Mayor has taken decisive action against Child Sexual Exploitation, commissioning an independent Assurance Review led by two experts in their field the same year. Significant issues of concern and unacceptable practices across agencies and Greater Manchester Police were uncovered in these reviews.

“With full support from the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Greater Manchester Police established a Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team in 2021. This has a large, dedicated staff and it has brought many people to justice with more trials to take place this year and next.

“The Mayor has also voiced support for further giving voice to victims of Child Sexual Exploitation in Oldham and elsewhere, with national government support, and the Mayor also wholeheartedly supports the government’s plans to take action against online grooming and all sexual exploitation and gender-based violence.”

Charlotte Hall, Local Democracy Reporter