Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has fired back at Elon Musk and others over what he called the “poison of the far-right” dominating discussions about child sexual exploitation. Starmer accused the Tories of amplifying harmful narratives instead of addressing the problem during their 14 years in power.
A War of Words
Speaking about online abuse, Starmer didn’t mince his words. He called out lies being spread online, which he said fuelled threats against MPs, including safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. “In my book, a line has been crossed,” Starmer said.
He accused politicians of “jumping on the bandwagon” to gain attention, while ignoring their own inaction:
“What I won’t tolerate is this debate based on lies. Politicians sat in government for 14 long years, tweeting, talking, but not doing anything about it.”
Musk Enters the Fray
Not one to sit quietly, Elon Musk has made his feelings on the UK government abundantly clear—if somewhat bizarre. Using his platform X (formerly Twitter), Musk shared a post from an anonymous account accusing Starmer of prioritising anti-Muslim abuse over condemning a child-killer.
If that wasn’t enough, Musk followed up with a call for Britain’s PM to be jailed and even floated a poll asking whether the U.S. should “liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”
Yes, you read that correctly—Musk is now apparently dabbling in international regime change.
Far-Right Poison
Starmer’s criticism didn’t stop with Musk. He also condemned the Tories for “amplifying what the far-right is saying” about child sexual exploitation, claiming they’re feeding divisive rhetoric instead of offering solutions.
“This Government will get on with the job of protecting victims… but what I won’t tolerate is this discussion and debate based on lies.”
Labour has committed to mandatory reporting and accelerating justice processes for victims, a stark contrast, Starmer argues, to the “tweeting and talking” of the current government.
The Bigger Picture
The online feud comes amid a tense national conversation about the state’s response to child sexual exploitation and Islamophobia. Musk’s high-profile attacks have added fuel to the fire, with his comments sparking further debate—and no small amount of ridicule.
Whether this spat will escalate further or fade into the digital ether remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: the combination of Starmer, Musk, and far-right rhetoric has created a political storm that shows no signs of abating.
You may also like: Boris, Farage, and Truss attend bash where ‘Nazi jokes’ spark outrage
