UK politics – live: Jess Phillips says her ‘world turned upside down’ by Elon Musk social media attacks
The Tesla boss has launched a series of baseless attacks on the Labour government over grooming gangs
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has spoken about her fears for her safety after Elon Musk unleashed a torrent of abuse against her over the child grooming scandal.
Ms Phillips found herself at the centre of an international storm when she decided not to agree to a national inquiry into child grooming and rape across towns in the north of England because one had already been conducted.
The attacks were led by the X social media platform boss who described her as “a witch” and a “rape genocide apologist”.
Speaking to ITV News, she said: “Of course I worry about my safety. Of course, and you have to, you know, anyone who has worked in the fields of violence against women and girls. Risk is dynamic and I have to take account of the risks in my life and this is one of them currently.”
The Tesla boss has launched a series of baseless attacks on the Labour government over grooming gangs, while also calling for the release of jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson – a development which also saw him turn on Reform leader Nigel Farage on Sunday, claiming he “does not have what it takes” to lead the party.
Watch: Robert Jenrick in heated clash with BBC's Nick Robinson over grooming gangs
UK ‘must become to wind what Saudi Arabia is to crude oil’, says Labour MP
The United Kingdom must “become to wind what Saudi Arabia is to crude oil”, a Labour MP has urged.
Henry Tufnell, MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, told the House of Commons: “In our United Kingdom, one of our biggest and most powerful natural resources is wind. To cut bills, deliver energy security and achieve net zero, we have to become to wind what Saudi Arabia is to crude oil.”
Speaking during a debate on new legislation to give the Crown Estate new borrowing powers, he added: “The population of South Wales and the South West will never forgive us if we don’t seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redevelop their regional economies.”
Liberal Dem energy spokesperson Pippa Heylings had earlier told MPs: “While the new borrowing powers will enable investment in offshore wind, they will also facilitate property development across the 185,000 acres of the Crown Estate, so this Bill must do more to ensure that these developments do not ride roughshod over community concerns regarding planning, infrastructure and environmental standards, both on land and at sea.
“People must have a say in the decisions that affect them, and where infrastructure’s concerned they should also receive the benefits where appropriate.”
What the London Stock Exchange exodus could mean for Britain
Last year saw the biggest outflow of companies from the London Stock Exchange since the global financial crisis.
According to accountants EY, 88 companies, including Paddy Power owner Flutter, travel group Tui and Just Eat, abandoned the London market for US and European exchanges.
It comes amid fears of the capital’s shrinking relevance as a place to do business following Britain’s exit from the European Union.
The shrinkage of London as a global market has been steady. Twenty years ago, when banks, manufacturers, oil companies and pharmaceutical firms dominated lists of the biggest companies, UK-listed stocks accounted for 11 per cent of the global market. Now it is about 4 per cent.
The trend is as much about America’s growth as it is about London’s shrinkage as the US and its giant tech stocks have dominated world markets.
Howard Mustoe has more analysis here:
What the London Stock Exchange exodus could mean for Britain
Analysis: In a post-Brexit world, keeping its place as the top financial centre in Europe seems more realistic than competing with New York
Plans to boost Crown Estate borrowing powers will help aid net zero transition, MPs told
Plans to give the Crown Estate more borrowing powers will help it return more money to taxpayers and aid the transition to net zero, MPs have been told.
Opening a Commons debate ahead of a new Bill’s second reading, Treasury minister Darren Jones said it would change the outdated Crown Estate Act 1961 and bring it into place for the modern age.
He said: “The Crown Estate is a commercial business, independent from government, that operates for profit and competes in the marketplace for investment. Yet it is restricted in its ability to do so by legislation that has not been amended since 1961.
“With less ability to compete and to invest, it is less able to deliver returns for the public purse than it might otherwise be able to do.”
The new Bill will enable the Crown Estate to decarbonise and redevelop land it owns in the West End of London, Mr Jones said, adding that it will be able to seek finance from external partners, including in the City of London, and invest in more schemes with the aim of getting a financial return.
Full report: Jess Phillips worries about her safety after Elon Musk social media attacks
The Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox reports:
Jess Phillips worries about her safety after Elon Musk social media attacks
Safeguarding minister was described as ‘a rape genocide apologist’ by Elon Musk
Musk’s social media posts are ‘ridiculous’, Jess Phillips says
Elon Musk’s social media posts are “ridiculous” and the social media mogul “knows absolutely nothing” about the subject of grooming gangs, Jess Phillips has said.
Asked about the billionaire, who accused her of being a “rape genocide apologist” after she declined a request for a Whitehall-led inquiry into child sexual abuse in Oldham, Home Office minister Ms Phillips told ITV News: “It’s ridiculous isn’t it? The things that he’s saying are so ridiculous as to initially make me just go what?
“But then you wake up with the realisation that that’s millions of people that he has said that to and you feel immediately like this is going to turn my world upside down and I have to try and limit for how long that is the case.
“But you know, your immediate, my immediate thought was like just, it’s sort of like, what a joke. And then the realisation of what this is probably going to mean for you.”
Asked if it had turned her world upside down, Ms Phillips replied: “Yeah a little bit, a lot. Well, a lot actually it’s… it’s not great.”
She added: “The thing that annoys me the most about it is it takes up so much bandwidth of my time from a man who knows absolutely nothing about the subject he’s talking about, when the only thing I ever want to be doing is being able to use all of my brain power to focus on the hundreds of girls I have supported over the years who have been victims of grooming gangs and what needs to happen to make their lives better and to stop what is still happening today.”
Government savings from winter fuel payment changes falling fast, analysis claims
Government savings from last year’s changes to the winter fuel payment are already less than planned, new analysis has revealed.
Announcing the cutting back of the cold weather benefit in July last year, Rachel Reeves said the measure would shave £1.4bn from the DWP bill this financial year. This was done by means-testing the payment to make only pensioners claiming pension credit eligible for it.
But research from Policy in Practice shows that the number of new pension credit claims meant the government had been forced to overspend on the change already, in the first week of January. And any more claims made before April will continue to eat into the savings further.
My colleague Albert Toth has more details:
Winter fuel payment: Government savings from changes falling fast, analysis claims
The government said the controversial change would raise £1.4bn
Full report: Farage says he hopes to ‘mend’ relationship with Elon Musk on trip to US
Nigel Farage has said he hopes to “mend” his relationship with Elon Musk when he travels to the US for Donald Trump’s inauguration, after the two men had a bitter falling out this week.
He also attempted to step up the pressure on Sir Keir Starmer over grooming gangs, claiming his Reform party would be prepared to set up an unofficial “inquiry” within weeks if the government did not.
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has more in this report:
Farage says he hopes to ‘mend’ relations with Musk at Trump’s inauguration
Reform UK leader steps up pressure on Keir Starmer as he threatens to hold his own hearings into grooming gangs if the governnment does not
Grooming gang survivors being politically exploited, journalist warns
Journalist Andrew Norfolk, who exposed the Rotherham grooming gang scandal in 2011, has warned that survivors are being “exploited” for political purposes.
He told the News Agents podcast: “As justice secretary, Michael Gove was instrumental in changing the rules on which judges could sit on these complex cases. As director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer changed the rules to enable more prosecutions.
“I genuinely think those individuals got it eventually and did their best to affect change for the better. And in many cases, we still have a very far from perfect system, and of course abuse is still going on and every single child that falls victim to these men is one child far too many.
“But to suddenly have this explosion of interest and calls for inquiries, it just feels all wrong to me.”
Asked if he feels survivors are now being used for political purposes, he said: “100 per cent. But the far right – that’s been the case since day one.”
He added: “It’s being used for the very wrong reasons. These girls .. are being exploited all over again. And for now politicians to jump on the bandwagon again when they’ve been silent for so many years just strikes me as a bit shameful.”
Minister defends Rachel Reeves’ upcoming visit to China
The UK must “sometimes be involved” with countries whose values “may not completely align with ours”, Foreign Office minister Catherine West has said, in defence of chancellor Rachel Reeves’s upcoming visit to China.
Referring to arrest warrants issued for pro-democracy activists resident in the UK by Hong Kong police, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel told the Commons: “Doesn’t this once again show this government’s supposed reset with China is just one way?
“Before meeting President Xi, the prime minister had said he wanted a relationship that is consistent, durable and respectful, and stated that the pair agree that there be no more surprises.”
She added: “Can the minister confirm with a simple yes or no whether the Chancellor is going to be raising these bounties at the highest level when she jets off to China next week to beg for a quick investment for the bailout of her failing economic strategy? She cannot ignore the human rights issues on her visit.”
Ms West replied: “We’re in a position where our economy is quite fragile and whilst we have very clear national security concerns – and today’s a really good example of those – we do have to balance those with being an outwardly facing and globally-trading nation, where we need to sometimes be involved with other countries where their values may not completely align with ours.
“So, I make no apologies for trying to support British business abroad, including in Hong Kong, where British businesses have said it is so lovely to see MPs visit us.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments