Elon Musk‘s tirade against the British government has been met with a robust response from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
During a press conference in the past half hour, Starmer said the X chief and others’ recent obsession with last decade’s child grooming gangs saga is nothing but “whipping up of intimidation and threats of violence, hoping the media will amplify it.”
Musk has been spreading conspiracies across the weekend on his social media platform including labeling one of Starmer’s ministers, Jess Phillips, a “rape genocide apologist.” In a series of posts on X, he then called for Starmer to face jail time over how child grooming gangs were dealt with when Starmer was Director of Public Prosecutions last decade and posted a yes-no poll with the statement: “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”
“I’m prepared to call this out for what it is,” said Starmer, who has been under some pressure to respond. ”Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible — they’re not interested in victims, they’re interested in themselves.”
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While not mentioning Musk by name, he added: “Jess [Phillips] does not need me or anyone else to speak on her behalf but when the poison of the far-right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others then in my book a line has been crossed.”
While he “enjoys the cut and thrust of politics,” Starmer said this “has got to be based on facts and truths, not lies and on those who are so desperate for attention that they are prepared to debase themselves and their country.”
His intervention comes with Donald Trump, who Musk has become incredibly close with over the past few months, set to move back into the White House in just a fortnight’s time. Musk will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk’s wade into an old British row over grooming gangs has also set him on a collision course with Nigel Farage, another Trump ally and the leader of Reform UK.
While Musk and Farage were initially close, and Musk was expected to donate millions to Farage’s party, the pair have now had something of a fallout over Musk’s support for far-right UK activist Tommy Robinson, who is currently in prison over contempt of court.
Musk called for a new Reform UK leader because “Farage doesn’t have what it takes.” Farage responded: “Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree.”
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