Starmer: Calls for grooming gang inquiry are ‘far-Right bandwagon’

Sir Keir Starmer has accused those calling for a new inquiry into grooming gangs of jumping on a “far-Right bandwagon”.

In his first comments on the row, the Prime Minister appeared to hit back at Elon Musk by criticising those who “spread lies and misinformation” online.

He also accused politicians such as Kemi Badenoch, who have backed a new inquiry, of “amplifying what the far-Right is saying” and “jumping on the bandwagon” to gain attention.

Mr Musk responded to Sir Keir’s comments, accusing the Prime Minister of refusing demands for a national inquiry because it would show he was “deeply complicit in the mass rapes in exchange for votes”.

Sir Keir’s comments also prompted a backlash from Conservatives, who said it was not “far-Right” to call for tougher action against rape gangs. James Cleverly, the former home secretary, said that, by making the comments, Sir Keir was “the best recruiting sergeant for extremism”.

Mr Musk, the multi-billionaire Tesla and X owner, has reignited fury over the grooming gangs scandal by posting comments online criticising Sir Keir and calling for a national inquiry.

He has also derided the Prime Minister’s handling of the summer riots and expressed support for Tommy Robinson, the jailed far-Right activist whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Asked on Monday about Mr Musk’s intervention in the grooming gangs row, Sir Keir said: “Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims – they are interested in themselves.

“When politicians – and I mean politicians – who sat in government for many years are casual about honesty, decency, truth and the rule of law, calling for inquiries because they want to jump on a bandwagon of the far-Right, then that affects politics because a robust debate can only be based on the true facts.

“This is actually an important point about our politics, not what about what anybody may or may not say on Twitter.”

On Monday night, Downing Street insisted Sir Keir was not criticising all those calling for an inquiry – just Tory politicians who had failed in office.

In an attempt to get ahead of the scandal, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, told MPs that child groomers would get longer prison sentences, and that anyone who worked with children and failed to report child sexual abuse could face prosecution.

Ms Cooper also announced that the Government would implement all 20 of the recommendations from Prof Alexis Jay’s 2022 report on child sexual abuse – although she would not put a timescale on when this would happen.

Sir Keir will face a fresh attempt to force an inquiry later this week after Mrs Badenoch, the Tory leader, said she would put forward a Commons amendment designed to compel the Government to hold one.

The dispute follows weeks of hostile tweeting by Mr Musk, who will be a key figure in Donald Trump’s second presidency. He has criticised Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, calling her a “rape genocide apologist” for refusing to fund an inquiry into grooming gangs in Oldham.

Sir Keir delivered his first comments on the row after a speech on NHS reform. He said “a line has been crossed”, leading to threats against Ms Phillips as a result of the “poison of the far-Right”.

He strongly criticised “those who are cheerleading Tommy Robinson”, saying they were “not interested in justice” and “trying to get some vicarious thrill from street violence”.

Sir Keir defended his record on tackling grooming gangs as director of public prosecutions, saying that when he left office “we had the highest number of child sexual abuse cases being prosecuted on record”.

He also said: “What I won’t tolerate is politicians jumping on the bandwagon, simply to get attention, when those politicians sat in government for 14 long years, tweeting, talking, but not doing anything about it. Now so desperate for attention that they’re amplifying what the far-Right is saying.”

The Prime Minister added that the Conservatives had failed to implement Prof Jay’s recommendations.

Starmer’s ‘smear tactics’

Conservative figures hit back, accusing Sir Keir of “smearing people who are concerned about rape gangs”.

Mrs Badenoch said Sir Keir was “applying Labour smear tactics from 20 years ago” and was “a man of the past with no answers for today’s problems, let alone tomorrow’s”.

She added: “That such a huge scandal could occur should prompt soul-searching, not ranting that those of us who care about it are ‘the far-Right’.”

Mr Cleverly said: “When will Starmer and Labour learn? Accusing those who disagree with him, or who seek legitimate answers about repeated failures of child protection, as ‘far-Right’ is deeply insulting and counter-productive. He is the best recruiting sergeant for extremism.”

Mr Musk described the Prime Minister as “utterly despicable” and “insane”.

Asked whether everyone calling for an inquiry was “jumping on the bandwagon” of the far-Right, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said: “No, and like everyone the Prime Minister wants action and justice for victims of child sexual abuse – and you have got the PM’s language from this morning on that.

“His point is that the way to get justice for victims is to take action. As I say, he was also making the point that politicians should not be jumping on bandwagons when certain politicians had a chance to do something about this when they were in government.

“The Prime Minister’s focus is delivering justice and the action victims are calling for, implementing and delivering the recommendations made in 2022.”

The spokesman added that the Government had “no plans” to remove its X accounts. Asked why it was still on the platform, he said: “The Government will always use a range of platforms to communicate with the general public, and that’s always been our policy and will continue to be our policy.”

Prof Jay, who chaired the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse, distanced herself from calls for a new national inquiry, but said it was “critical” that her recommendations were fully implemented.