Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has been named as a core participant in the statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, according to a list published by the inquiry on 22 October 2026.
The designation gives Sir Keir formal procedural rights in the inquiry's National Accountability Hearings. It does not mean he has been accused of wrongdoing, nor does it automatically require him to give evidence.
What core participant status means
Under the inquiry's Core Participant Protocol, an individual or organisation with a significant interest in the inquiry's work may receive relevant disclosure and participate in hearings through legal representatives. Core participant status is separate from being called as a witness.
Sir Keir appears on the inquiry's official National Accountability Hearings core participant list. Reporting by Sky News says it remains unclear whether he will be asked to testify.
Hearings to begin in December
The inquiry has announced that its opening National Accountability Hearings will take place in London during the weeks of 14 December 2026 and 11 January 2027, with further hearings planned for March and April 2027. The opening phase will focus on victims' and survivors' experiences and perspectives.
The hearings will examine how institutions responded to group-based child sexual exploitation and whether lessons from earlier reviews and investigations were acted upon. The inquiry has powers to compel evidence, but it has made no adverse finding against Sir Keir.
Sir Keir was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013 and later announced the national inquiry while serving as prime minister. The public designation does not specify which aspect of his former responsibilities is relevant to his core participant status.
The inquiry was formally established in April 2026, with a three-year remit and a £65 million budget. Its work covers England and Wales and is intended to examine institutional and individual failings while keeping victims and survivors central to the process.
What happens next?
Whether Sir Keir will be invited or compelled to give evidence has not been confirmed. Any such decision should be reported separately when announced by the inquiry.
Sources: Inquiry core participant list (22 October 2026); Inquiry hearing dates (22 October 2026); Core Participant Protocol; Official terms of reference.