Grooming gangs: Michael Gove confirms attempted ‘cover-up’ by Whitehall officials

Lord Michael Gove has told GB News that Whitehall officials attempted to “block journalists” from publishing investigations into grooming gangs in 2011.

Speaking to Charlie Peters in an exclusive sit down interview, Gove confirmed Dominic Cummings’s claims that he rejected advice from Department for Education officials, who suggested blocking journalists from publishing reports of abuse in Rotherham.

Gove revealed: “We contacted Rotherham Council and said we do want to intervene in this case, but on behalf of The Times, because it is absolutely vital that the truth be told.”

The Labour Government announced their U-turn on holding a national grooming gangs inquiry following a review by Baroness Louise Casey and widespread criticism across the political spectrum.

Lord Michael Gove sat down with Charlie Peters for an exclusive GB News interview

GB News

Despite branding previous calls for an inquiry as “jumping on the far-right bandwagon,” the Labour leader now admits it is “the right thing to do”.

Confirming the account made by Dominic Cummings of the attempt, Gove told GB News: “Dominic’s account is broadly absolutely correct. So Andrew Norfolk, the very brave and sadly deceased reporter at The Times who was responsible more than anyone for initially uncovering the the grooming gang scandal, had been investigating Rotherham.

“It was the case that he wanted to publish details that related to one particularly tragic case. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council at the time didn’t want the full details revealed.”

He added: “They approached the Government and the Department for Education, where I was Secretary of State at the time, asked us to join them in a legal case in order to prevent the times publishing.”

Gove told GB News that Department of Education officials attempted to ‘block’ journalists from reporting on it in 2011

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