Starmer condemns Musk over grooming gang 'lies'

PM hits back over claim he was 'complicit in mass rapes'

- DAVID MADDOX MILLIE COOKE

Sir Keir Starmer has accused tech billionaire Elon Musk and right-wing populists of spreading lies about child abuse grooming gangs and warned "they have crossed a line".

The prime minister came out fighting yesterday after a Christmas break during which Mr Musk and others unleashed a torrent of personal abuse against him and his government, including safeguarding minister Jess Phillips.

Sir Keir made an impassioned defence of Ms Phillips, who Mr Musk had described as “a witch” and a supporter of “genocidal rape abusers” who “deserves to be in prison”.

It comes after figures in Donald Trump’s inner circle even pressed the president-elect to impose sanctions on Britain over the child sex grooming scandal. A source told The Independent: “The threat of tariffs is nothing compared to the threat of sanctions.”

During a speech about NHS reforms, the prime minister defended his period as director of public prosecutions in bringing a record number of cases against grooming gangs, before taking aim at social media misinformation.

“Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and wide as possible are not interested in victims, they’re interested in themselves,” he said. “They are cheerleading Tommy Robinson, a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing a grooming case, a gang grooming case.

“These people are trying to get some kind of vicarious thrill from street violence, that people like Tommy Robinson promote.

“Those attacking Jess Phillips, who I’m proud to call a colleague and a friend, are not protecting victims. Jess Phillips has done a thousand times more than they’ve even dreamt about when it comes to protecting victims of sexual abuse throughout her entire career.