Prime Minister Andy Burnham is not actively considering a public inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein’s actions in the UK, contrary to recent suggestions to that effect.
Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones said Tuesday that Burnham had agreed to meet with the sex offender’s victims and was looking into the possibility of an inquiry, describing him as taking the matter very seriously. A separate potential inquiry into allegations against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed is also under discussion. However, it is understood that Downing Street is not currently pursuing a formal public inquiry.
Asked on BBC Newsnight Tuesday whether such an inquiry was on the table, Davies-Jones said the government was looking into the matter and reviewing what options exist, both regarding Epstein’s victims and Harrods survivors. She noted that a statutory inquiry is already underway concerning victims of grooming gangs, and said she has been assured that the prime minister is treating the issue with real seriousness, according to The Guardian.
She added that Burnham intends to meet with the victims and, now that he has access to the full range of information available to a prime minister, is examining what action can realistically be taken.
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More than 400 sexual abuse allegations have been made against Al Fayed spanning from 1977 to 2014, including claims of rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating allegations from at least 156 complainants, including 21 who came forward before Al Fayed’s death in 2023.
Davies-Jones, who returned to the role of victims minister under Burnham’s government, said she sought assurances before rejoining the administration that victims would remain a genuine priority. She described having multiple conversations with Burnham and his team, saying he agreed to meet with Epstein’s victims and had remained in close contact with them throughout his rise to the premiership.
She said he has assured her he will follow through on that meeting and work with her to pursue broader systemic reforms benefiting all victims, whether connected to the Epstein case, Harrods, or grooming gangs.
She said the underlying goal is determining what more can be done to ensure the criminal justice system genuinely takes victims seriously, so they can begin rebuilding trust and faith in the system, adding that the prime minister has assured her he is committed to making that happen.
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Davies-Jones resigned from Keir Starmer’s government in May and publicly called on him to step down, at the time urging the then-prime minister to meet with survivors of Epstein’s abuse. At the end of June, Starmer told survivor and campaigner Lisa Phillips that his door was open, though he stopped short of committing to meet with her personally. She was instead offered a meeting with then-chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones and Davies-Jones.
