Keir Starmer declines to respond directly to American business magnate Elon Musk and others regarding his handling of child sexual exploitation while Director of Public Prosecutions
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has responded to criticism from American business magnate Elon Musk and others regarding his handling of child sexual exploitation cases during his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Starmer declined to respond directly to Musk's remarks but strongly condemned the spread of “misinformation” and “far-right rhetoric.”
Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, recently made inflammatory remarks online, referring to Labour leader from Birmingham and Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips as a "rape genocide apologist" and suggesting that she must be jailed.
He also criticized Starmer for allegedly failing to effectively prosecute grooming gangs while serving as DPP.
When asked about Musk's comments, Starmer said, “To that, I don't really have any comment on the particular comment that was made this morning by Musk.”
He insisted that the public is likely more concerned with critical issues such as the NHS than with controversies on social media.
Starmer robustly defended his time as DPP, saying, "Child sexual exploitation is utterly sickening. For many years, too many victims have been completely let down. I tackled this issue head-on as director of public prosecutions."
He accused those amplifying falsehoods of prioritizing their self-interest over justice for victims, saying, "Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims; they're interested in themselves."
- Criticism of the Tories, support for Jess Phillips
In response to the attacks on Jess Phillips, the British premier praised her career-long commitment to protecting victims of abuse: "Jess Phillips has done 1,000 times more than they've even dreamt about when it comes to protecting victims of sexual abuse throughout her entire career."
Starmer criticized the far-right and their supporters for creating a hostile environment that fosters intimidation and threats, particularly targeting Phillips.
He warned that such behavior has crossed a (red) line, adding, "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."
"Those who are cheerleading Tommy Robinson are not interested in justice. They're supporting a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing a grooming case, a gang grooming case.
“These are people (who) are trying to get some kind of vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote," he said.
Musk's controversial statement, made last Thursday morning on his social media platform, urged authorities to “free Tommy Robinson” and called for “a new election in Britain,” drawing widespread condemnation.
Robinson, the founder of the English Defense League (EDL), is a divisive figure in the UK, known for leading anti-immigration rallies that have drawn thousands of supporters.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in October for breaching a court order related to false claims about a Syrian schoolboy made in a documentary.
The UK premier also targeted the Conservative Party, accusing them of hypocrisy and opportunism for supporting Musk's calls for an investigation into how grooming cases are handled in Oldham.
"Those attacking Jess Phillips… are simply amplifying what the far right is saying," he said.
He accused Tory politicians of prioritizing "tweets and talking" over action, despite being in government for over a decade.
Starmer reaffirmed his government's commitment to safeguarding victims of abuse, highlighting proposals for mandatory reporting and streamlining investigative processes. However, he issued a stark warning, saying, "What I won't tolerate is this discussion based on lies without calling it out. What I won't tolerate is politicians jumping on the bandwagon simply to get attention."
