I watched that Channel 4 documentary Wednesday night. Couldn't sleep afterward. The stories those women told about being abused as children - while authorities looked the other way - left me feeling physically ill. And yet our Prime Minister can't seem to muster the same outrage he had for a bloody Netflix drama?

The contrast is jarring.

Two sets of standards for two different horrors

Sir Keir Starmer is now facing accusations of having "two-tier telly" views after his deafening silence on the grooming gangs documentary that aired this week. Remember how he reacted to Adolescence? Man was practically demanding it be shown in every classroom across Britain. But when confronted with real victims telling their real stories of being raped and trafficked by predominantly Pakistani men while authorities turned a blind eye? Crickets.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp didn't mince words: "This shocking documentary laid bare the shameful cover-up of rape gangs, which were covered up because the perpetrators were mainly of Pakistani origin. Keir Starmer called on Adolescence to be shown in every school. This is factual, not a drama, so will he join me in calling for this to be shown in every school and every police force?"

His conclusion was brutal. "If he doesn't, then he will be guilty of two-tier standards and two-tier telly."

Wait... what exactly did we just watch?

"Groomed: A National Scandal" chronicled the horrific experiences of five young women who were abused over a 20-year period. These weren't isolated incidents. They weren't one-offs. They were systematic failures by police and social services that allowed predatory men to target vulnerable white girls in northern towns. And yes, the documentary makes it clear - the perpetrators were predominantly men of Pakistani heritage.

I texted my friend who works in social services after watching it. Her response: "This is why I can't sleep most nights." God. The weight these professionals carry.

Starmer's team goes with the "nothing new here" defense

When pressed about the PM's silence, his spokesman offered this gem: the government has "already taken significant action" and the findings from the documentary were "not new." Not new? Tell that to teh millions of viewers who were horrified by what they saw.

The spokesman added: "Obviously anything that brings more focus on the scandal is welcome and supports the government's action in this space." That's politician-speak for "we're not going to do anything different."

Back in 2019, I interviewed a survivor of one of these grooming gangs. She told me she'd spent £3K on therapy because the state support was so inadequate. Still makes me angry thinking about it.

Casey's curious job-juggling act

And here's where things get even messier. Remember Baroness Louise Casey? The woman Yvette Cooper appointed in January to lead a three-month "rapid review" into the grooming scandal?

Turns out she's already started her next government gig reviewing the social care crisis. Wait... what? Wasn't she supposed to finish the grooming gangs work first?

Downing Street previously insisted she would complete her work on grooming gangs before starting at the Department for Health. Home Office sources are now scrambling to assure everyone that Baroness Casey has "finished her audit" and is just writing up her report.

Listen. I've written enough reports in my life to know that the writing stage is where all the important conclusions get shaped. It's not some minor administrative afterthought.

Election night jitters

Meanwhile, as this controversy simmers, Sir Keir was fighting for his political life in Runcorn and Helsby last night, trying to hold off Nigel Farage's Reform UK in his first major electoral test since becoming PM.

With 1,600 council seats and six directly-elected mayors up for grabs, the political stakes couldn't be higher. The Tories are bracing for a bloodbath, but Labour's nervousness about Reform's momentum is palpable.

I spoke with a Labour campaigner yesterday (won't name names, they'd kill me) who admitted they're worried about voter apathy. "People who backed us in July are already saying 'what's changed?' and it's only been a few months."

So while Sir Keir frets about election results, survivors of some of the most horrific child abuse in British history are left wondering why their stories don't merit the same outrage as a fictional Netflix drama.

Priorities, eh?