UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed criticism surrounding his management of the ongoing child grooming gang crisis, a scandal that has resurfaced recently, amplified by comments from Elon Musk. Starmer accused those disseminating "lies and misinformation" of prioritizing personal gain over the victims' well-being, responding to reporters' questions about Musk's remarks without directly naming him.
The scandal, involving predominantly South Asian or British Pakistani men exploiting children for decades in northern England, has sparked renewed calls for a national inquiry. Past reports from Rotherham and Telford revealed horrific crimes and authorities' failure to act, either due to suppressed information or concerns about exacerbating racial tensions. The issue is often cited as a failure of multiculturalism and a consequence of mass immigration.
Musk criticized the government's refusal of a national inquiry into authorities' handling of the Oldham case. Home Office Minister Jess Phillips suggested in October that inquiries should be localized. A 2022 Oldham report acknowledged children were failed by local agencies but found no cover-up, despite concerns about far-right exploitation of convictions of mainly Pakistani offenders.
Musk, joined by prominent conservatives like Kemi Badenoch, demanded a full inquiry, with Musk urging King Charles III's intervention. He accused the government on X of opposing an inquiry to conceal complicity in the cover-up. Musk also called for the prosecution of Starmer, then director of public prosecutions, and labeled Phillips a "rape genocide apologist."
Starmer defended his prosecutorial record, citing reopened cases and a reformed approach to abuse cases. He condemned threats against Jess Phillips and others stemming from far-right rhetoric, emphasizing the importance of fact-based debate. He criticized politicians who, he claimed, exploit the issue for political gain by aligning with the far-right.
Musk retorted on X, criticizing Starmer for allegedly ignoring victims' pleas to maintain political support and calling him "despicable."
