Bradford Council leader Stephen Place said the announcement was “an important and welcome step”, with the council’s two largest opposition parties, Labour and the Conservatives, also welcoming the news.
Place, a former police officer, said: “We know that organised grooming gangs operated in our district and that abuse continues to take place, and that there have been previous investigations, prosecutions and serious questions raised about the response of institutions.
“This investigation must help establish the facts, ensure accountability where appropriate, confirm whether warning signs were missed and to strengthen confidence that everything possible is being done to protect children in the future.”
Place, who represents Reform UK on the council, said it “stands ready to assist the inquiry and Baroness Longfield in any way we can”.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin had previously rejected calls for a new public inquiry into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the region.
The Labour politician told a meeting last year: “The answer, surely, is to ensure that historic victims of CSE get justice, but also that we put resources into those perpetrators who are harming children and women today now as we sit here.
“We should make sure that there is no room for anyone to hide.”
Speaking after today’s announcement, Brabin said: “We remain committed to supporting the inquiry, working transparently, and doing everything possible to protect children and prevent these crimes from ever happening again.”
A spokesperson for the inquiry said the local investigations would “examine in detail what happened in a particular place, including how children were targeted and exploited, how institutions and individuals responded, how victims and survivors were treated, and what needs to change”.
The findings would help “build a clear national picture” and feed into its recommendations, they added.
On the decision to focus on Bradford and Keighley, the spokesperson said: “Concerns have been raised over many years by victims and survivors, campaigners, elected representatives and others.
“These concerns have formed an important part of the case for investigation and will now be examined directly by the Inquiry.”
