LONDON:
A senior British government official criticized Elon Musk on Friday for his recent comments about UK politics, describing them as “misjudged and clearly misinformed.”
The tech entrepreneur had accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a series of posts on X, of failing to bring “rape gangs” to justice during his tenure as the Director of Public Prosecutions. Musk also targeted Jess Phillips, the Minister for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls, suggesting she “deserved to be in prison” for denying a request for a national inquiry into a child sexual exploitation scandal in Oldham, a town in northern England.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting responded to Musk’s remarks in an interview with ITV News, stating that the government takes child sexual exploitation issues “extremely seriously.” He added that some of Musk’s comments were inaccurate, but emphasized that the government was open to working with him.
“If Elon Musk wants to help and use his platform to tackle this issue globally, we’d be happy to collaborate,” Streeting said. “We welcome his support if heβs willing to roll up his sleeves and get involved.”
The issue of widespread abuse of young girls in various English towns, including Rochdale, Rotherham, and Oldham, has been controversial for years. Many of the perpetrators, predominantly men of South Asian Muslim descent, were convicted after a series of court cases. The victims, mostly white girls, were vulnerable and neglected by authorities.
Reports later revealed that police and social workers failed to act against the abuse, in some cases fearing accusations of racism. The scandals have been exploited by far-right figures, such as extremist Tommy Robinson, to further their agendas.
