Jess Phillips has mentioned she has “more important things to be thinking about” than Elon Musk after he accused her of being a “rape genocide apologist”.
The safeguarding minister has hit again on the billionaire’s criticism of her for the primary time, telling Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that his claims are “ridiculous” and he or she shall be led by what victims must say, not him.
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Mr Musk made the feedback after Ms Phillips denied a request for the House Workplace to guide a public inquiry into youngster sexual exploitation in Oldham, saying it must be performed at an area stage.
The city in Higher Manchester was one among numerous areas the place women as younger as 11 have been groomed and raped over a decade in the past in a nationwide scandal that was uncovered in 2013.
Mr Musk’s feedback have sparked a political row – with the Tories and Reform UK now calling for a brand new public inquiry into grooming gangs.
Ms Phillips mentioned that the world’s richest man, who owns SpaceX and is the CEO of Tesla, ought to “crack on with this ‘getting to Mars’” as an alternative of wading into UK politics.
“You know, Elon Musk is going to [do] Elon Musk. I’ve got bigger and more important things to be thinking about,” she added.
She mentioned she has devoted her working life to combating youngster exploitation and it was “painful” to observe it develop into a “political football”.
There has already been a seven-year nationwide inquiry into youngster abuse in England and Wales, which the Conservatives commissioned in 2015 and which checked out grooming gangs, in addition to abuse in locations like colleges and the church.
The investigation, chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, concluded in 2022 however none of its suggestions have been carried out.
Picture:Elon Musk. File pic: Reuters
Baby exploitation changing into ‘political football’
Ms Phillips, who has sat in courtrooms with women who have been groomed, mentioned she was “really angry” at folks “now claiming to be the virtuous flag bearers of these victims”, having not spoken on the difficulty earlier than.
“These sudden demands by the Tories, ridiculous statements made about me and my government by a man thousands of miles away, it’s really painful when you know what I know,” she mentioned.
“It’s painful to watch it become a political football rather than an actual attempt to really do something.”
She particularly known as out Tory chief Kemi Badenoch for declaring 2025 because the yr victims ought to get justice, given her get together spent the previous 14 years in authorities.
“Funnily sufficient, this all began about an Oldham inquiry, which a authorities she was a part of additionally mentioned must be performed domestically.
“And the fact that Kemi Badenoch is reacting to something that Elon Musk has said… I am reacting to things that victims say to me.”
Taking purpose at different senior Tories pushing for a nationwide inquiry, she added: “I’ve never seen Kemi Badenoch, Chris Philp, Robert Jenrick in any of the meetings that I’ve been in over the years trying to advance policy on this.”
Picture:Jess Phillips
Summit of council leaders introduced
Ms Phillips went on to announce that the Labour authorities is planning to carry a summit of council leaders in areas the place an area inquiry on youngster exploitation, resembling that which occurred in Telford, could also be wanted.
The Birmingham Yardley MP mentioned this could “ensure that what I saw that worked [in Telford] can happen everywhere”.
“I’m interested in children being safe tomorrow, not whether my political seat is safe,” she added.
On the federal government asserting a brand new victims and survivors panel to sit down inside the House Workplace, Ms Phillips mentioned this was all the time a part of their plan however the Musk “furore” has elevated it.
It was amongst a bundle of measures unveiled by House Secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday, together with making it a felony offence if professionals who work with youngsters fail to report claims of abuse.
This shall be launched within the spring as a part of the Crime and Policing Invoice, and was a key advice of the Jay Overview.
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Different options from the evaluation to be carried out embrace making grooming an aggravating issue within the sentencing of kid sexual offences and creating a brand new efficiency framework for policing exploitation.
Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a timeline for when all 20 suggestions shall be put in place, Quantity 10 admitted at present.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson mentioned the ultimate 2022 report was “not acted on by the last government” so this one is “working at pace” and “will provide any updates in due course”.
Prof Jay earlier informed the BBC that victims “clearly want action” and don’t want a brand new nationwide inquiry into grooming gangs, as she too hit out on the “politicisation of child sexual exploitation”.
And on Monday Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Musk and others of “spreading lies and misinformation”, about grooming gangs, saying “a line has been crossed” with the assaults on Ms Phillips, who has acquired threats.
Later within the podcast interview, Ms Phillips mentioned Mr Musk’s feedback had put her security in danger, saying there was a distinction between “robust debate” and spreading misinformation.
“If you have misinformation, you have to think about the consequences of what that does. And one of those consequences is a risk to members of parliament.”
You may take heed to Beth’s full interview with Jess Phillips in Electoral Dysfunction on Friday.
