Starmer condemns ‘lies and misinformation’ as he hits back at Musk
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PM also criticises politicians ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ amid row over action on child sexual exploitation. Keir Starmer has said the online debate about child sexual exploitation is based on lies, with politicians “jumping on the bandwagon simply to get attention” as he hit back at Elon Musk.
Responding to questions about social media posts from the billionaire Tesla owner, Starmer said a line had been crossed when the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, and others received serious threats as a result of the “poison of the far right”.
The prime minister rejected calls for another review into the Oldham rape gang cases because he said the “utterly sickening” issue “does not need any more consultations, it just needs action”. He said a line had been crossed when Musk suggested Phillips “deserves to be in prison” for denying requests for the Home Office to open a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham, and called her a “rape genocide apologist”.
Starmer was launching his government’s reforms of the NHS at Epsom hospital when he was asked about Musk’s attacks on Phillips, and also the billionaire’s claims that Starmer should be in prison. He expressed his concerns about the future direction of the Conservative party under Kemi Badenoch, given the Conservatives did not condemn Musk’s comments about Phillips.
