If you really dig int this, then it goes way beyond politicians simply not wanting to 'stir up' local tensions. Active collusion going on in many cases, with the links between local Labour politicians (oddly enough some of their Westminster MP's actually much better on this than people might believe. Sarah Champion is a great example), the grooming gangs and wider criminality, including drugs and carousel fraud, rife. I can recollect in one of the reports, it stated that supposedly secure safes in Town Halls, were being accessed and documents removed. This is the real cover-up.
And this all goes WAY beyond just people thinking it impolite to comment or fears of being labelled racist. This is corruption of the most venal kind, that still plays out today. Literally numerous 'Rotten Boroughs', in every sense of the term, up and down the country.
We need a special kind of rain to cleanse this country.