PoliticsJOE Podcast Labour Minister slates Tories for failing grooming gang victims | Josh MacAlister interview
Dec 19, 2025
Josh MacAlister, the UK's Children's Minister and former head of a major care system review, dives into the newly launched Child Protection Authority aimed at boosting national accountability. He discusses the importance of multi-agency collaboration to spot risks early and the creation of a register for home-educated children. MacAlister reveals a £2.4 billion investment for social care and critiques tech companies for inadequate responses to online grooming. He also emphasizes the urgent need for systemic reforms in the care system to protect vulnerable children.
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National Authority To Improve Accountability
- A national Child Protection Authority will centralise learning and accountability across agencies.
- It aims to join police, health and social care data to hold multiple agencies to account for child protection failures.
Register And Link Data To Spot Risks
- Introduce a register for children not in school and use the NHS number to link data across agencies.
- Use those linked signals to spot at-risk children earlier and intervene promptly.
Online Threats Evolving Fast
- Online harms extend beyond grooming to AI-generated content and peer sexual harm.
- The Online Safety Act is a necessary first step but regulators and tech firms must keep pace with evolving threats.