LONDON — On Friday, a prominent British politician countered Elon Musk’s remarks regarding the government’s management of a significant child grooming scandal.
Recently, Musk has been vocal on his social media platform, X, criticizing the British government after it declined to initiate a public inquiry into the grooming issues that occurred in Oldham, a town in northern England.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed that Musk’s perspectives were “misjudged and certainly misinformed.” He extended an invitation to Musk, an influential figure and ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, to collaborate with the government in addressing child sexual exploitation.
The government has indicated that the town of Oldham should follow the example of other areas by initiating its own investigation into the historical abuse that predominantly affected young girls.
A report from 2022 on safeguarding efforts in Oldham from 2011 to 2014 outlined failures by local agencies to protect children, yet concluded that there was no cover-up amid “legitimate concerns” about the far-right taking advantage of the significant convictions involving mostly Pakistani offenders nationwide.
Musk’s criticisms have also extended to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom he accused of not holding accountable those involved in so-called “rape gangs” during his tenure as director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013. Musk characterized these scandals as a “massive crime against humanity.”
Streeting articulated to ITV News that the government takes child sexual exploitation with utmost seriousness and supports an inquiry into the Oldham case, yet believes it should be conducted locally.
“Some of the criticisms that Elon Musk has made, I think are misjudged and certainly misinformed, but we’re willing to work with Elon Musk,” Streeting stated. “He has a significant role to play with his social media platform to assist us and other countries in addressing this serious issue. So if he wants to collaborate and get involved, we’d be welcoming that.”
Musk appears to be taking a growing interest in the British political landscape, particularly following the Labour Party’s decisive victory in July 2024, which ended a 14-year stretch of Conservative governance.
He has retweeted criticism directed at Starmer and has engaged with the hashtag TwoTierKeir, which implies an unverified notion of “two-tier policing” where far-right demonstrators are treated with greater severity than those protesting for pro-Palestinian or Black Lives Matter causes.
Moreover, Musk has likened British efforts to combat online misinformation to tactics used by the Soviet Union, and during a summer marked by anti-immigrant tensions, he tweeted his belief that “civil war is inevitable.”
Additionally, Musk has called for a new general election in the U.K. just six months after the last, stating, “The people of Britain do not want this government at all. New elections.”
He has recently shown support for Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known more widely as Tommy Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League who is currently serving an 18-month sentence for contempt of court.
Aside from sharing his viewpoints, Musk seems to be willing to financially back these causes, reportedly considering a £100 million ($124 million) investment in Reform U.K., a right-wing party led by Nigel Farage, who is a prominent figure supporting Trump in Britain.
