Starmer hits out at Tories over Badenoch’s call for new grooming gang inquiry
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Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of prioritising winning support on Elon Musk’s social media site over protecting children by pushing for a vote on a new nationwide child grooming investigation. The Prime Minister said Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s attempt to win parliamentary backing for a new inquiry was a “shocking tactic” because it would mean derailing legislation aimed at bolstering the safety of children.
Sir Keir’s Government has faced a slew of attacks from Mr Musk, the owner of social media site X, after Home Office minister Jess Phillips declined a request for a nationally-led inquiry in Oldham. Ms Phillips said she faced an increased risk to her safety since Mr Musk called her a “rape genocide apologist”, and the Prime Minister has signalled that the businessman crossed a line with his criticism and was spreading misinformation.
Sir Keir told the Mirror: “No MP should be voting down children’s safeguarding measures. It’s shocking they are even thinking about this as a tactic. “It’s the elevation of the desire for retweets over any real interest in the safeguarding of children.”.
In response to Labour’s opposition to calls for a national inquiry, Mr Musk called Sir Keir “Starmtrooper”, accusing him of trying to cover up “terrible things”. The Tories have joined calls by Mr Musk for a new UK-wide inquiry into child sexual abuse, despite a wide-ranging independent probe having concluded its work in 2022.
The Opposition tabled an amendment to the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill calling for ministers “to develop new legislative proposals for children’s wellbeing including establishing a national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs”.
