Calderdale Council’s Cabinet agreed to set up a Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation Working Party earlier thus month. Its role will see councillors and council officers work with partners to identify risks, support victims, pursue offenders and learn lessons from the past, the council’s ruling Reform UK group has previously summarised. Leader of Calderdale Council, Coun Dan Sutherland (Reform UK, Illingworth and Mixenden) criticised opposition politicians locally and nationally over previous reactions to such issues including grooming gangs. He said: “This working party will not be frightened to go where this authority, due to political motivations, has refused to go previously. An angry Coun Sutherland accused Coun Wilkinson of previously making “efforts to stop it being scrutinised”, an allegation which Coun Wilkinson denied.