Jess Phillips Criticizes Elon Musk’s Grooming Gang Tweets

U.K. safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has accused tech billionaire Elon Musk of spreading “disinformation” about grooming gangs, claiming his social media posts have endangered her safety. Phillips, a Labour MP and advocate for women’s rights, made the remarks during an interview with BBC’s Newsnight, following Musk’s inflammatory tweets labeling her a “rape genocide apologist.”

Musk’s comments came after Phillips rejected calls for a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham, a town near Manchester. Instead, Phillips argued that local investigations, such as the one conducted in Telford, are more effective in addressing the issue. “What I saw happen in Telford is the exact opposite of what I have seen happen because of the national expert inquiry for the last two years since it came out – I saw change happen,” she said.

The controversy stems from cases involving groups of men, predominantly of Pakistani descent, convicted of sexually abusing and raping predominantly white girls across the U.K. Musk’s intervention has reignited debates about the handling of such cases and the need for a national inquiry. Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has called for a new national inquiry, stating, “We now suspect that at least 50 towns have had grooming gangs of this kind.”

Phillips defended her decision, emphasizing the importance of local action. “It is an independent inquiry led locally, and it’s the only model I’ve seen work, and I’ve worked in this field for 15 years,” she said. She also dismissed suggestions that Labour politicians were avoiding national inquiries due to voter concerns, calling the idea “an absolute load of rubbish.”

Musk’s tweets have drawn widespread criticism, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer stating that the tech billionaire’s accusations “crossed a line.” Starmer added, “Once we lose the anchor that truth matters, in the robust debate that we must have, then we are on a very slippery slope.”

Phillips, who previously ran a domestic abuse refuge, has been a vocal advocate for victims of violence against women. She criticized Musk’s remarks as “ridiculous” and expressed hope that the current debate would lead to meaningful change. “If I have to go through all of this and I haven’t changed the way local areas deal with grooming gangs in two years’ time, it wouldn’t have been worth it,” she said.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino defended Musk’s comments, stating that his platform has brought attention to the issue of grooming gangs. “If not for X, where would the conversation be to save thousands of girls, to bring people to justice who must be brought to justice?” she said.

Despite the controversy, Phillips remains focused on her work. “Elon Musk is going to [be] Elon Musk. I’ve got bigger and more important things to be thinking about,” she said, suggesting Musk should “crack on with ‘getting to Mars.'”