Rory Stewart sparks outrage after claiming grooming gangs are 'not a big problem' in Britain: 'In an elite bubble!'

Rory Stewart has sparked outrage after claiming that Britain's grooming gangs scandal is "not a big problem".

Speaking to GB News, author Lisa McKenzie accused the former Conservative MP of living in an "elite bubble" after making the remarks.

Sitting down with Michael Gove on The Spectator's Quite Right! podcast, Mr Stewart claimed that the issue is "manageable".

He said: "Were there horrible abuse and grooming gangs? Absolutely. Are there families living in Birmingham who I think are facing bad issues for their own families and society? Yes.

"Do I think that this is a big problem for Britain? No. This is a manageable problem.

"Including some very unpleasant things where the police did not act correctly, people behaved in an evil fashion and they need to be prosecuted.

"But what are the real problems facing Britain? Not this."

Reacting to the remarks, Ms McKenzie told GB News admitted she "wouldn't expect much else" from a political figure such as him.

She said: "I wouldn't have expected much else from him, to be honest. He is an elite man, he lives in an elite world. His view political views are extremely liberal around his experiences.

"So looking at this as a wider issue, we would say, 'well, it's a few people, it's specific areas, what has that got to do with the national story?' And obviously and unfortunately, we are ruled by people like that."

Ms McKenzie stressed that this stance on the grooming gangs has contributed to victims and survivors taking so long to speak out and seek justice against their perpetrators.

She said: "Westminster is filled with people like that, and that's why it's taken victims and supporters of those victims over 30 years to get this damning indictment of our country recognised, it's taken over 30 years to do that.

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"And Rory Stewart is the reason why that has happened. So really, it's kind of done us a service because we've all gone, 'alright, okay, now we know'.

"Now we know that when these liberals elites who live in little bubbles, when they get together, they actually don't know what is happening in the country, they are so removed from it. They have no idea. And for me, that is an argument to remove them."

As host Andrew Pierce suggested that Mr Stewart should "meet with the victims and apologise", Ms McKenzie disagreed with the idea, arguing that it would make "no difference".

She explained: "I'll be honest, I don't think meeting them... I have met people like him who thinks this and actually meeting the victims, it doesn't make any difference to them because in their mind, it's closed, they also thought it was a historical problem.

"He doesn't understand that it's happening now. He also didn't understand it's connected to organised crime. He doesn't understand it's connected to organised crime on every high street in our country, so therefore it's not a minor issue. It's a major issue."

The author recalled a lengthy investigation by the BBC into the grooming gangs scandal, which uncovered the extent of organised crime on Britain's high streets.

She told GB News: "The BBC did a four or five year thorough investigation into organised crime on our high streets, and part of that organised crime was sexually abusing children in flats above shops.

"This is not a minor issue. It's such a major issue about what's happening in the country on every high street. He doesn't understand it, and he doesn't care."