Health Secretary Wes Streeting has defended Sir Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips against criticism from Elon Musk over the grooming gangs scandal, highlighting their track records in prosecuting criminals.
Speaking on GB News, Streeting emphasised that both Starmer and Phillips had “banged up paedophiles, rapists, wife beaters” before entering politics.
The defence comes after tech billionaire Musk launched a series of attacks on his X social media platform, targeting Labour’s handling of grooming gangs.
Streeting described Musk’s criticisms as “misjudged and certainly misinformed”, inviting the Tesla boss to “roll up his sleeves and work with us” against rape gangs.
Musk had called for Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips to be imprisoned after she rejected requests for a Home Office-led inquiry into historic child abuse in Oldham.
“She deserves to be in prison,” Musk wrote on X, adding in a separate post “Prison for Phillips now!”
The Tesla chief had been responding to former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who claimed Phillips’ ministerial title was “a perversion of the English language”.
The row escalated after GB News revealed the Government had formally rejected repeated requests for a Home Office-led inquiry, with officials stating the need to “learn from past mistakes”.
Elon Musk has become more politically active in recent months ReutersStreeting emphasised the government’s commitment to implementing recommendations from previous investigations, particularly the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
He pointed out that none of the recommendations from previous inquiries had been implemented by the last government, stating Labour would “get on with delivering change now”.
The Health Secretary addressed concerns about past failures, acknowledging that fear of being accused of racism had contributed to inaction in cases like Rotherham.
“We have got no time for that sort of thing,” Streeting said, stressing the need to deliver justice for victims of past abuses while protecting potential future victims.
Wes Streeting joined Camilla Tominey on GB News
GB NEWS
Streeting highlighted Sir Keir Starmer’s work as Director of Public Prosecutions, where he “opened up historic cases where perpetrators thought they’d got away with it”.
He noted that Starmer established specialist rape prosecutors to build stronger evidence bases and improve conviction rates.
“One of the reasons he came into politics is because he recognised that the courts can only do so much,” Streeting explained.
The Health Secretary emphasised that both Starmer and Phillips had dedicated their professional lives to justice before entering politics.
“That’s why they’re showing the level of drive and commitment now as prime minister, Home Secretary and victims Minister,” he added.