Elon Musk has said Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” over Labour’s refusal to hold a public inquiry into historic sexual abuse by grooming gangs in Oldham. The Telegraph has more.
Elon Musk attacked the decision as “disgraceful” and Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said a full national inquiry into rape gangs was “long overdue”.
Jess Phillips, Labour’s Safeguarding Minister, insisted it was “for Oldham council alone” to decide whether to launch an investigation into alleged exploitation between 2011 and 2014.
A 2022 report found children in Oldham were failed by agencies that were meant to protect them amid alleged grooming by “predominantly Pakistani offenders” in council homes, shisha bars and by taxi drivers.
Oldham Council’s Labour group last year agreed to support an independent inquiry, writing twice to Ms. Phillips urging the Home Office to support this work.
The Minister replied: “It is for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the Government to intervene…
“I welcome the council’s resolution to do so, as set out in your letter, and to continue its important work with victims and survivors.”
Responding to a report on Ms. Phillips’s remarks on his social media platform X, Mr. Musk claimed that she “deserves to be in prison”.
Mrs Badenoch also shared her view on the platform on Thursday and said: “The time is long overdue for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal.
“Trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots. 2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice.”
In further posts, Mr. Musk accused Ms. Phillips of a “disgraceful” decision and suggested she had rejected an inquiry in order to shield Sir Keir from blame.
He continued: “In the U.K., serious crimes such as rape require the Crown Prosecution Service’s approval for the police to charge suspects.
“Who was the head of the CPS when rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice? Keir Starmer, 2008–2013.
“Who is the boss of Jess Phillips right now? Keir Stamer [sic]. The real reason she’s refusing to investigate the rape gangs is that it would obviously lead to the blaming of Keir Starmer [head of the CPS at the time].”
Sir Keir ordered a comprehensive review of CPS guidelines on sexual exploitation as Chief Prosecutor in 2012, admitting the service had failed a generation of girls who were abused. …
Sir Keir gave the green light to prosecuting the Rochdale grooming case, the first of its kind, and said in 2023 he was in favour of “anything we can do to crack down on these cases”.
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