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Billionaire and owner of X Elon Musk has attacked Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour government over its response to grooming gangs in the UK.
Pressure has mounted on the prime minister after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips denied requests for the Home Office to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation and grooming in Oldham.
The tech billionaire triggered an attack on the government on Thursday, as he suggested Ms Phillips “deserves to be in prison”.
He also appeared to place blame at Starmer’s door, arguing that “rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice” during Sir Keir’s time as director of public prosecutions.
Since the Tesla boss posted his claims on X, several high profile figures including Tory leader Kemi Badenoch have also spoken out calling for a full inquiry into the sexual abuse.
Here’s what we know about the why Keir Starmer is under fire over grooming gang scandal and whether there will be an inquiry:
Why did the uproar start?
The criticism began after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips formally denied requests for the Home Office to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation and grooming in Oldham.
Ms Phillips said she recognised the “strength of feeling” for a Home Office-led inquiry, but she told the local council the Government will not “intervene”.
“I believe it is for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the Government to intervene,” she said.
Instead of the Government leading a probe, Oldham must follow in the footsteps of other towns like Rotherham and Telford and commission its own inquiry into historical abuse of children, Ms Phillips said in a letter to the local council.
The last Tory government also rejected a similar request from Oldham council for a public inquiry, saying it is for local authorities to commission local inquiries.
What has the criticism been?
In response to Ms Phillip’s decision, Mr Musk, a key member of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle, said: “She deserves to be in prison.”
The businessman, who owns X, has used the social media site to post or repost about child grooming in the UK more than 40 times over the last 24 hours.
He appeared to blame Sir Keir for the scandal and argued that “rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice” during Sir Keir’s time as director of public prosecutions.
Mr Musk said: “In the UK, serious crimes such as rape require the Crown Prosecution Service’s approval for the police to charge suspects.
“Who was the head of the CPS when rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice? Keir Starmer, 2008-2013.”
In a series of posts on his social media site, Mr Musk described the Prime Minister as “two-tier Keir”, claiming there was “no justice for severe, violent crimes but prison for social media posts”.
Mr Musk also shared a post asking whether King Charles “should dissolve parliament and order a general election… for the sake and security” of Britain.
Senior Tories also sought to put pressure on the Government over grooming gangs.
Mrs Badenoch said: “The time is long overdue for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal. Trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots.
“2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice.”
How has the government responded?
Pressed if Mr Musk’s comments were unhelpful to the Government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told ITV News that ministers took child sexual exploitation “incredibly seriously”.
He added: “Some of the criticisms that Elon Musk has made, I think are misjudged and certainly misinformed, but we’re willing to work with Elon Musk, who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform to help us and other countries to tackle this serious issue. So if he wants to work with us and roll his sleeves up, we’d welcome that.”
Andrew Gwynne, a minister working in Mr Streeting’s health team, had earlier taken a stronger stance, suggesting Mr Musk should to stick to US politics, where he is set to act as an unelected adviser to the Trump presidency on cutting federal spending.
Mr Gwynne told LBC: “Elon Musk is an American citizen and perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic.”
After listing the host of investigations which had taken place, the minister added: “There comes a point where we don’t need more inquiries, and had Elon Musk really paid attention to what’s been going on in this country, he might have recognised that there have already been inquiries.”
Will there be an inquiry?
A national inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay concluded in 2022, and probes into Greater Manchester Police’s handling of historical child sex abuse cases in Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale have already been carried out.
The inquiry looked into abuse by organised groups following multiple convictions of sexual offences against children across the UK between 2010-2014, including in Rotherham, Cornwall, Derbyshire, Rochdale and Bristol.
In November last year, Professor Jay said she felt “frustrated” that none of the probe’s 20 recommendations had been implemented more than two years after its conclusion.
Mr Streeting said the Government was committed to implementing the recommendations of Professor Jay’s report “in full”.
The Health Secretary also told the PA news agency that ministers were supportive of an inquiry into the Oldham scandal, but signalled it had to be led locally.
“There may well be, and we think there is a good case for further inquiries into specific places, Oldham being a good and latest example.
“We would absolutely encourage and work with Oldham in establishing their own inquiries,” he said.
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