The Daily Star's FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inbox Sign up today! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

One woman said a probe into the Rotherham scandal over-looked the fight for votes.

Known as Jessica, she said local politicians “buried the truth to suit their own ends”.

She said: “I’ve said all along that this has been about two things – money and power,.

“Girls like me were sacrificed because no-one wanted the boat rocked because they knew it’d cost them votes if the finger of blame was pointed and because they thought we were worthless.”

Solicitor Dave Greenwood, who represents 38 victims, added: “There was an echelon of people who scratched each other’s backs.

“But I think there’s an ‘X Factor’ at play here. It’s quite apparent there was a feeling of the need to maintain the Asian vote to preserve Labour’s majority in the town.”

Last week a government probe headed by Louise Casey attacked “a culture of bullying, political correctness, incompetence and cover-up”.

Nobody from the Labour party was available last night.