Government denies actively considering Epstein and Al-Fayed inquiry
The government has denied actively considering a public inquiry into the UK activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Mohamed Al-Fayed, despite earlier statements by ministers.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The government has denied that it is actively considering a public inquiry into the UK activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Mohamed Al-Fayed, contradicting earlier statements by ministers suggesting the Prime Minister was looking into the possibility.
The confusion began when Alex Davies-Jones, the victims minister, said in a television interview that Prime Minister Andy Burnham was "looking into the possibility" of holding a public inquiry into the UK activities of the convicted sex offender and the former Harrods boss. She said the Prime Minister was taking the matter "very seriously" and would meet with victims.
"I have been assured that the Prime Minister is taking this very seriously. He will meet with those victims and he is looking at what is possible," she said.
Her comments were echoed by Justice Minister Jake Richards, who said in a separate interview that the government would "look into" the scandal, adding that "no stone should be left unturned."
However, this morning, the Ministry of Justice, with the full authority of Downing Street, issued a statement saying a public inquiry is "not being actively considered."
The contradiction has raised questions about the new government's position. Political commentators have suggested the mixed messages may reflect teething problems within the new administration, or a gap between the Prime Minister's empathetic approach to victims and the practical realities of launching a costly and lengthy inquiry.
Alex Davies-Jones, who resigned as victims minister under Keir Starmer's government in May and was reappointed by Andy Burnham, is now seeking an urgent meeting with Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State, to discuss the possibility of a joint inquiry into the activities of Epstein and Al-Fayed.
The victims minister had previously called for a public inquiry into Epstein's UK activities in early July, and had delivered a letter to Keir Starmer demanding he meet with survivors. She has said the Prime Minister has agreed to meet Epstein survivors.
Campaigners from the Labour Party have reportedly asked for the investigation to focus on how Epstein was able to fly in and out of UK military bases in his private jet, often with allegedly trafficked women.
The Prime Minister has committed to meeting victims and survivors of Epstein's abuse. The convicted paedophile died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
In a separate development, the Metropolitan Police has apologised after accidentally revealing the email addresses of women who say they were sexually abused by Al-Fayed. The force says it mistakenly copied the names of the alleged victims into an update about its ongoing investigation instead of using blind copy.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A detective sergeant is under investigation for misconduct and a constable for gross misconduct. | · | · | ||||||
| Simon Levy was found guilty of murdering two women and raping a third. | · | · | ||||||
| Levy was on bail for separate sex attacks on trains when he committed the murders. | · | · | · | |||||
| Andy Burnham is considering a public inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein and Mohamed Al-Fayed, has agreed to meet survivors, and received a plan with five proposals addressing violence against women and girls. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Levy was a previously convicted sex offender, with a record that included assaulting 11 women. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The Crown Prosecution Service admitted it did not present all relevant evidence in a bail application. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| The Metropolitan Police referred itself to the police watchdog. | · | · | · | · | ||||
| Campaigners want the inquiry to focus on Epstein's use of UK military bases. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Levy was arrested on suspicion of murder but released because the cause of death could not be determined. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Levy was downgraded from a high risk to a medium risk sex offender. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| Police are appealing for other potential victims to come forward. | · | · | · | · | · | |||
| The CPS admitted failings in its handling of the Levy case. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC Two's Newsnight provided the most extensive coverage, featuring an in-depth interview with victims minister Alex Davies-Jones. The programme explored her resignation under Keir Starmer, her reappointment under Andy Burnham, and the practical and political considerations around a potential inquiry. It also covered the subsequent government denial, with analysis of possible teething problems in the new administration.
- “I have been assured that the Prime Minister is taking this very seriously. He will meet with those victims and he is looking at what is possible.”
- “We are looking into this, we are reviewing what is possible.”
- “A public inquiry is not being actively considered.”
BBC News provided a concise summary of the Newsnight interview, highlighting the key points about the potential inquiry and the campaigners' focus on Epstein's flights in and out of UK military bases. The report was brief and factual, serving as a news bulletin summary. It also later covered the Metropolitan Police's data breach apology regarding Al-Fayed victims.
- “The victim's minister, Alex Davies-Jones, has told BBC's Newsnight that Andy Burnham is seriously considering holding a public inquiry into the activities of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the UK.”
- “Campaigners from the Labour Party are reported to have asked for the investigation to focus on how Epstein was able to fly into and out of the UK military bases in his private jet, often with allegedly trafficked with women.”
Sky News focused on the confusion and contradiction in the government's position, reporting that Number 10 had denied actively considering an inquiry despite ministers' earlier statements. The channel highlighted the internal tensions and reported that Davies-Jones was seeking an urgent meeting with Louise Haigh.
- “The Prime Minister will look into it. He'll take his time, no doubt, to think about the best route for victims, but also to crucially ensure lessons are learned to make sure that these sorts of things never happen again.”
- “I'm told this morning, though, that number 10 aren't actively considering it.”
- “Alex Davies-Jones, the victim's minister, is seeking an urgent meeting with Louise Haigh, the first Secretary of State, and Andy Burnham's right-hand woman, if you like, on this issue.”
5 News did not cover the Epstein and Al-Fayed inquiry story. The channel's coverage focused on the Simon Levy murder case, reporting on his conviction for murdering two women and raping a third.
BBC One West did not cover the Epstein inquiry story in its main bulletins. However, it later reported on the Metropolitan Police's apology for accidentally revealing the email addresses of women who say they were sexually abused by Mohamed Al-Fayed, which is related to the broader story.
- “The Metropolitan Police have apologised after accidentally revealing the email addresses of 43 women who say they were sexually abused by the former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed.”
Channel 4 did not cover the Epstein and Al-Fayed inquiry story. The channel's coverage focused on the Simon Levy murder case, examining the systemic failures that allowed him to remain free.
GB News did not cover the Epstein and Al-Fayed inquiry story. The channel's coverage focused on the Simon Levy murder case and other stories, including the Ann Widdecombe investigation.
ITV1 did not cover the Epstein and Al-Fayed inquiry story. The channel's coverage focused on the Simon Levy murder case, highlighting the litany of failures by police, prosecutors and courts.
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.