Keir Starmer has accused opposition MPs of prioritising “retweets” and winning favour with tech billionaire Elon Musk over protecting children.
Commenting ahead of a debate on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the prime minister said Kemi Badenoch’s attempt to win parliamentary backing for a new inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation was a “shocking tactic”, as it risks derailing the legislation.
The Conservative Party has tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill calling for ministers “to develop new legislative proposals for children’s wellbeing including establishing a national statutory inquiry, focused on grooming gangs”.
If passed, the amendment would halt the progress of the bill, which includes measures aimed at improving safeguarding for children.
Reform UK, led by Clacton MP Nigel Farage, has tabled an amendment to the legislation along similar lines. “We are rejecting the bill because the home secretary has not launched a national public inquiry into the rape gangs”, Farage said.
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It comes as the prime minister continues to face aggressive attacks from Elon Musk, the owner of social media site X. Musk has claimed that Starmer is opposing a national inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation because he is “hiding terrible things”.
The tech billionaire tweeted on Wednesday: “Now why would Keir Starmtrooper order his own party to block such an inquiry? Because he is hiding terrible things. That is why.”
Musk has also urged Labour MPs to “do the right thing” and back the Conservative amendment calling for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.
The X owner responded to a post from Reform’s Rupert Lowe, who said Labour MPs “should ignore” instructions from the government and vote against attempts stall the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Musk said in response: “For all those poor little girls who were so terribly abused, many of whom died, they should do the right thing.”
Meanwhile, Home Office minister Jess Phillips has said she faces an increased risk to her safety after Musk called her a “rape genocide apologist”. The comment came after Phillips declined a request for a nationally-led inquiry in Oldham.
Speaking to the Mirror ahead of the debate on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, Starmer said: “No MP should be voting down children’s safeguarding measures. It’s shocking they are even thinking about this as a tactic.
“It’s the elevation of the desire for retweets over any real interest in the safeguarding of children.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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