Keir Starmer has accused tech billionaire Elon Musk and rightwing populists of spreading lies about the child abuse grooming gangs and warned “they have crossed a line”.
The prime minister came out fighting after a Christmas break during which Musk and others unleashed a torrent of personal abuse against him and his government, including safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.
Sir Keir made an impassioned defence of Ms Phllips, who Musk had described as “a witch” and supporter of “genocidal rape abusers” who “should go to prison”.
It comes after figures in Trump’s inner circle even pressed the president-elect to impose sanctions on Britain over the child sex grooming scandal. A source told The Independent: “The threat of tariffs is nothing compared to the threat of sanctions.”
During a speech about NHS reforms, the prime minister defended his period as director of public prosecutions in bringing a record number of cases on the Asian grooming gangs, before taking aim at social media misinformation.
“Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far as wide as possible are not interested in victims, they’re interested in themselves,” he said. “They are cheerleading Tommy Robinson, a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing a grooming case, a gang grooming case.
“These people are trying to get some kind of vicarious thrill from street violence, that people like Tommy Robinson promote.
“Those attacking Jess Phillips, who I’m proud to call a colleague and a friend, are not protecting victims. Jess Phillips has done a thousand times more than they’ve even dreamt about when it comes to protecting victims of sexual abuse throughout her entire career.
“When the poison of the far right leads to serious threats, to Jess Phillips and others, that in my book, means a line has been crossed. I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics. The robust debate that we must have. But that’s got to be based on facts and truth. Not on lies.”
He also criticised the Tories for appearing to support Musk.
“Those who are so desperate for attention that they’re prepared to debase themselves and their country. So this government will get on with the job of protecting victims. Including, victims of sexual abuse.
“What I won’t tolerate is a debate based on lies and politicians jumping on the barn, one simply to get attention. When those politicians were in government for 14 long years.”
But his comments provoked yet another online tirade from Musk, who tweeted another baseless claim: “Starmer was deeply complicit in the mass rapes in exchange for votes. That’s what the inquiry would show.” He also called the prime minister “utterly despicable.”
He then retweeted anti-Starmer posts by Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders supporting Tommy Robinson and former Labour Europe minister turned hardline Brexiteer Baroness Kate Hoey.
Baroness Hoey said: “The prime minister has really gone too far this time in his attempts to call anyone who speaks out on grooming gangs far-right.”
Her words were echoed by shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick who said: “Starmer’s Government has launched more than 60 reviews since taking office, but won’t launch a national inquiry into rape gangs. Why? There is no acceptable excuse.
“Unlike during the last government, Oldham Council have now requested Government support and say they are not best-placed to conduct a review. Previous reviews have looked at specific places and elements of the scandal, but nothing has explored it in totality.”
Sir Keir avoided saying if he would sue Musk for defamation, and refused to comment on another Musk tweet sugesting his government should be deposed.
But he expressed concern at the Tories’ failure to condemn attacks on Jess Phillips.
“I’m very concerned about where the Tory party is going on this, in this country,” he said. “This isn’t about America or Musk, I’m talking about our politics. The responsibility they have for condemning it. If you’re not prepared to stand up and defend Jess Philips, you need to ask yourself why you’re in politics in the first place.”
On his own record tackling grooming gangs, he added: “Child sexual exploitation is utterly sickening and for many many years too many victims have been completely let down by perverse ideas about community relations, or by the idea that institutions must be protected above all else.
“When I was chief prosecutor for 5 years I tackled that head on. And that’s why I reopened cases that had been closed, I brought the first major prosecution of an Asian grooming gang in Rochdale, I changed the whole prosecution approach because I wanted to challenge the myths and stereotypes that were stopping the victims from being heard.”
Starmer’s counter attack was his first time since the summer riots to seriously address the social media campaign against his government being orchestrated by the tech billionaire.
The X owner has latched on to the issue of grooming gangs, even though there has already been an inquiry, in what seems to be a rightwing attempt to stir up race division. Separately, Musk has also openly backed the far right AfD in Germany and praised Italy’s rightwing prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
He even turned his fire on former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, retweeting an allegation he had suggested the victims of grooming gangs “had made a lifestyle choice.” Musk wrote: “Gordon Brown sold those little girls for votes.”
Musk’s attacks began last summer when he championed those convicted of inciting violence during riots in July, claiming they were political prisoners.
The X boss was also accused of spreading misinformation about the murders of girls in Southport which triggered the wave of violence in the Merseyside town and across England leading to an attempt to set fire to a hotel holding asylum seekers.
