Kemi Badenoch has urged the national inquiry into the grooming gangs to examine whether cousin marriage has contributed to the scandal.

The Tory leader told GB News the “insidious” practice of first-cousin marriage undermined integration and promoted group loyalties over “loyalty to society.”

Badenoch told the People's Channel the national inquiry, announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last weekend, should examine whether cousin marriage “contributed to the conditions that enabled the grooming, abuse and trafficking of vulnerable children”.

Her intervention comes amid growing concern about the practice of cousin marriage and its impact on community cohesion.

Baroness Casey’s grooming gangs report last week found “two-thirds of suspects offended within groups” that were “based on pre-existing relationships — mainly brothers and cousins”.

Academic Dr Patrick Nash told the Sunday Times this weekend that “Cousin marriage sustains close-kin networks which incentivise clan members both to dehumanise out-group victims and to suppress knowledge of criminal activity to preserve family honour”.

Dr Nash’s research has been central to Tory efforts to ban the practice, first proposed in a private member’s bill.

YouGov polling last month found that 77 per cent of Brits are in favour of banning cousin marriage, with just 9 per cent opposing a ban.

Kemi Badenoch has called for the grooming gangs inquiry to probe ‘insidious’ cousin marriage links

Badenoch said: “We must confront insidious practices like first cousin marriage, which undermine integration, isolate communities, and can foster environments where submission to one group overrides the law and loyalty to society. That is when horrific crimes – like the grooming gangs – take root.

“The national inquiry must leave no stone unturned, including the role of ethnicity.

“It should also examine whether cousin marriage contributed to the conditions that enabled the grooming, abuse and trafficking of vulnerable children.”

Her comments come after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed Labour will accept all 12 of the recommendations made in Baroness Casey's rape gangs review.

Yvette Cooper makes Commons announcement on grooming gangs inquiryPARLIAMENT TV

Cooper confirmed last week that Sir Keir Starmer's Government will also set up a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

She added that rape laws should be tightened up and many girls convicted of child prostitution should now be cleared.

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons, Cooper said: "We have lost more than a decade. That must end now."

The Home Secretary added: "This will mark the biggest programme of work ever pursued to root out the grooming gangs.

"Those vile perpetrators who have grown used to the authorities looking the other way must have no place to hide."

Baroness Casey told the select committee that it is 'clear' that grooming gangs still operate todayGB NEWS

Following Baroness Casey's recommendations, Cooper announced:

- New laws to protect children and support victims
- New major police operations
- A national inquiry to direct local probes and hold institutions to account for failures
- New ethnicity data and research
- New action across children's services to identify young people at risk
- Further action to support child victims and tackle new forms of exploitation online
- Change the law to ensure that adults who engage in penetrative sex with a child under the age of 16 will be charged with rape

Baroness Casey's report found there were "disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds" among suspects of group-based child sexual exploitation.

It revealed: "Despite reviews, reports and inquiries raising questions about men from Asian or Pakistani backgrounds grooming and sexually exploiting young White girls, the system has consistently failed to fully acknowledge this or collect accurate data so it can be examined effectively.

"Instead, flawed data is used repeatedly to dismiss claims about ‘Asian grooming gangs’ as sensationalised, biased or untrue.

"This does a disservice to victims and indeed all law-abiding people in Asian communities and plays into the hands of those who want to exploit it to sow division."