Sir Keir Starmer has accused people of “spreading lies” about grooming gangs and said they are not interested in victims after Elon Musk accused him of being “complicit” in the scandal.
“Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far as wide as possible, they’re not interested in victims. They’re interested in themselves,” Sir Keir said.
“I enjoy the thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have. But that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies. Not on those who are so desperate for attention that they’re prepared to debase themselves and their country.”
Sir Keir said his record as director of public prosecutions (DPP) shows how he changed “the entire approach” to child sexual abuse victims that was stopping them from being heard, and had the highest number of cases prosecuted on record.
He said he called for mandatory reporting but the Conservatives failed to do that.
The PM said safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has done “a thousand times more” to protect sexual abuse victims than those criticising her have “even dreamt about”.
This is the first time Sir Keir has responded directly to a flurry of accusations from Mr Musk over the past week.
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Mr Musk has been using X, the social media platform he owns, to attack Sir Keir after it emerged last week Labour rejected a call for a national inquiry into historical child grooming in Oldham, with Ms Phillips saying it was a matter for the local council.
The billionaire has accused the prime minister of being “complicit” as he was DPP at the time gangs of men, mainly of Pakistani descent, were exploiting mainly white girls, as young as 11, in several towns across the UK.
The richest man in the world has said Sir Keir should be in prison.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips he was “not interested” in what Mr Musk had to say about the grooming scandal.
He said Mr Musk’s comments were “a ridiculous thing to say”, were “ill-informed” and “not fair” on Sir Keir and Ms Phillips’ records.
Other political parties have also commented, with Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice telling Trevor Phillips Mr Musk is “one of the greatest entrepreneurs in history” and said there was a “deliberate cover-up” of the grooming gangs scandal over fears of appearing racist.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for a full national inquiry into the “rape gangs scandal” as she said “no one in authority has joined the dots” between the systematic rape of young women by organised gangs across the UK.
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