Labour MP John Mann last night rebuked Jeremy Corbyn over the ousting of a Shadow Minister who denounced Pakistani grooming gangs in Britain.

The MP for Bassetlaw urged North London MP Mr Corbyn to defy his ‘Islington acolytes’ and ‘beg’ Sarah Champion to return to the Labour front bench.

Anti-child abuse campaigner Ms Champion was forced to resign as shadow women and equalities minister after saying Britain had a problem with ‘British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls’.

The MP for Bassetlaw urged North London MP Mr Corbyn to defy his ‘Islington acolytes’ and ‘beg’ Sarah Champion to return to the Labour front bench

Mr Mann accused Mr Corbyn of leaving young white girls at risk of sexual abuse ‘voiceless’ by accepting the resignation of the MP for Rotherham – one of the towns hit by the grooming scandal.

He told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Jeremy Corbyn needs to stand up for the voiceless, those girls who have been let down by social workers, police and condemn the politically correct “right-on” attitude that hides away from tackling this scandal for fear of being called racist.’

It is time Labour had the guts to back Sarah Champion

By Labour MP John Mann

Jeremy Corbyn should beg Sarah Champion to return to the Labour Party Front Bench to continue her advocacy for those who have been subjected to the most horrific gang exploitation and abuse.

Others have been happy to be shocked as they watched from the sidelines, ducking for cover over the most difficult of issue - why did this child abuse take place and why was it allowed to continue?

Jeremy Corbyn should beg Sarah Champion to return to the Labour Party Front Bench to continue her advocacy for those who have been subjected to the most horrific gang exploitation and abuse

We all know what is going on, the court convictions don’t lie so, why are we not prepared to talk about it?

We know from Sarah’s own area and the Jay Report into the Rotherham scandal that fear of being accused of racism was fundamental to the inertia. As Jay concluded, there was over-whelming denial of what was happening and most Rotherham councillors disputed her findings.

I am representing many victims of child rape and other abuse. In most cases the perpetrators were white men. Another was jailed last week after we battled to have the case re-opened. I and my staff have spent very many hours supporting and advising those who childhood was stolen from them and negotiating proper support for them now. I cannot be a spectator.

Sarah Champion has told it as it is. She was clumsy in her language: not all the gangs of men convicted are of Pakistani origin. In Bristol, they were Somali, in Keighley Bangladeshi.

It would have been more accurate to describe them as Muslim men, because an overwhelming majority of convicted child abusers operating in gangs have been.

The role of politicians is to defend the powerless and to get them justice. That can only be done by looking at the problems in the eye and calling them out for what they are.

In this country we have a major and nationwide problem of Muslim men grooming and abusing young vulnerable white girls and until we accept this it cannot be challenged.

We need to know why this has happened, stop hiding from the reality, call it for what it is and have a national action plan for dealing with it.

The substantive point that Sarah Champion has made is factually accurate. Her context is accurate, her knowledge is deep and her motivation is impeccable.

It is time Labour had the guts to back Sarah Champion

I have seen when others have bravely spoken out, Ann Cryer in Keighley and Khalid Mahmood in Birmingham have both been attacked and rubbished.

There is a cowardice amongst some on the left, unwilling to leave their cappuccino bubble, outspoken on women in Saudi Arabia but gutless about tackling the abuse of young girls in our own towns and cities.

Another courageous Labour woman Barbara Castle, brought up in Bradford and representing Blackburn, would not have stood by and watched. As Barbara once said: ‘in politics guts is all’.

It is time Labour had the guts to back Sarah Champion, back her crusade for the victims of child abuse and ask her to continue to say it as it is.

Jeremy Corbyn needs to reconsider his decision to accept her resignation and show the courage to reappoint her immediately.

He needs to stand up for the voiceless, those girls who have been let down by social workers, police and condemn the right- on, politically-correct attitude that hides away from tackling this scandal for fear of being called racist.

Mr Corbyn might upset some of his Islington acolytes but he would be standing up for the voiceless if he reinstates Sarah Champion.

He should beg her to come back.