UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour leader hit back at Elon Musk, accusing him of spreading false claims about child sexual violence while defending Jess Phillips from threats.
During his speech on NHS reform, Sir Starmer responded to Elon Musk’s backlash over his handling of the child grooming scandal, firmly defending his stance on the issue.
In response to questions about social media posts from tech billionaire Elon Musk and a close supporter of Donald Trump, the British PM condemned the serious threats made against safeguarding minister Jess Phillips and others, stating that the “poison of the far right” had crossed a limit.
Sir Keir strictly dismissed the idea of a further review into the Oldham rape gang cases, arguing that the “utterly sickening” issue needed immediate action, no further discussions.
Last week, Elon Musk said Phillips should be in prison for refusing calls for a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham, labelled her a “rape genocide apologist.”
The Prime Minister told the press, “Those that are spreading lies and misinformation, as far and as wide as possible – they’re not interested in victims, they’re interested in themselves.”
The tech billionaire has called for the release of Tommy Robinson from jail and also urged King Charles III to dissolve parliament and hold new elections in Britain.
While presenting NHS reforms at Epsom Hospital, Sir Keir raised concerns over the Conservative Party’s future under Kemi Badenoch, highlighting that the Tory leader and her party kept their silence on Musk’s remarks about safeguarding minister Phillips.
The prime minister said, “Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible, they’re not interested in victims. They’re interested in themselves.”
During remarks on Tommy Robinson, he stated, “Those who are cheerleading Tommy Robinson are not interested in justice. They’re supporting a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing a grooming case, a gang grooming case. These are people trying to get some kind of vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.”
Sir Keir expressed strong support for safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, stating that she had done far more to protect victims of sexual abuse throughout her career than those who have criticized her over the matter.
He added, “We’ve seen this playbook many times, whipping up of intimidation and threats of violence, hoping that the media will amplify it.”
Keir Starmer also stood by his record as director of public prosecutions, countering the backlash that has emerged during the online debate on child sexual abuse.
During the press conference when the BBC inquired about Elon Musk’s recommendation that the US should “liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government,” the British PM responded, “I don’t really have any comments on the particular comment that was made this morning by Musk.”
Grooming gangs in the UK
In the UK, grooming gangs have become a serious problem, especially when it comes to the sexual abuse of young girls who are already at risk.
The grooming gang issue garnered widespread attention in the wake of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal, which exposed years of abuse from the late 1980s to 2013.
Gangs groomed nearly 1,400 girls in Rotherham during this period, according to a 2014 independent report by Professor Alexis Jay.
Many of these victims came from care facilities or terrible familial situations, and the majority of the criminals were men of Pakistani origin.
To fight grooming gangs more effectively, the British government has taken steps to tighten its strategy. This involves establishing specialized task forces to apprehend perpetrators and improving victim support programs to guarantee they receive help and justice.
In 2023, the United Kingdom recorded over 115,000 minor sexual offences. The number of group-based offences was 4,228 (3.7%), with 26% of these occurring in families, 17% in grooming organizations, and 9% in other institutions.