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
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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.
Nigel Farage paid £189,000 to be brand ambassador for gold company
Jess Phillips worries about her safety after Elon Musk social media attacks
Musk ‘knows absolutely nothing’ about grooming gangs, Jess Phillips says
Who is Rupert Lowe? From unpopular football chairman to Musk’s candidate to lead Reform after Farage fallout
Jon Sopel | Make no mistake, Farage has a real Musk problem
In his latest piece for Independent Voices, Jon Sopel writes:
You know that moment when your child gets home from school and you’re aware something bad has happened? Then, it all comes out: the person your child thought was his new best mate isn’t that nice after all. And he’s worried that his other longstanding friend might side with him, because the other two seem really tight. And you listen attentively, if slightly bewildered, to learn the spat is all the fault of that horrid kid in the class, Tommy.
Well, in this story it’s Nigel Farage who’s fallen out with the school’s Mr Flash – Elon Musk... all because Nige hasn’t shown loyalty to another kid, Tommy (Robinson, of course), who has been expelled. And Farage is worried that his longstanding best friend, Donald Trump, might side with Elon because they seem inseparable – always hanging around the playground together, sniggering at the back of the classroom, Elon letting Don copy his algebra homework.
If it wasn’t so consequential for British politics, it might be easy just to play it for laughs.
But it does matter. Having played an outsized role in the US presidential election in November – and few can doubt Musk’s significance, both in terms of financial muscle and his alleged recalibration of the X algorithm to promote and amplify Trump’s messages – it looks like the world’s richest man is turning to the UK as his next political playground.
Make no mistake, Farage has a real Musk problem
Until now, the Reform leader has been cheering Elon on for what he’s said about the state of British politics, assiduously courting him (and his cheque book). But it all seems to have gone sour, writes Jon Sopel
Tories accuse Labour of ‘educational vandalism’
The government’s plan for all state schools – academies and those run by councils – to follow the same pay and conditions framework is “educational vandalism”, the shadow education secretary has warned.
Laura Trott accused Labour of being set on “tearing up everything that has driven up school standards” through its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
The Bill – which is due to have its second reading in Parliament on Wednesday – has prompted fears that academies will lose freedoms which can help to recruit teachers and improve pupil outcomes in challenging areas.
Academies – which are independent of local authorities – currently have the freedom to set their own pay and conditions for staff, and some academies exceed the national pay scales for teachers. But under the new legislation, all teachers will be part of the same core pay and conditions framework whether they work in a local authority-run school or an academy.
ICYMI: Nigel Farage says he won’t sue Kemi Badenoch over Reform membership claim
Nigel Farage has said he will not take legal action against Kemi Badenoch over her claim Reform UK had faked its membership numbers.
He told LBC: “I’m not going to sue over it because, as I said, I do believe in free speech. I was offended by it, I asked for an apology and one wasn’t given so I’m going to go to her constituency on the 31st of this month.
“I’m going to hold a big event for all the Reform members living in her constituency, there are 417 of them when I last checked, paid-up members, bet it’s more than she’s got. There’s another 800 supporters living in the constituency.
“And I’m going to do a big joint photo, Kemi, and say ‘these are all our fake members and we are coming for you at the next election’.”
Musk and Starmer: A history of their relationship from the Southport riots to grooming gang claims
Sir Keir Starmer has begun this year in an explosive row with tech billionaire Elon Musk, which broke out after the Tesla boss criticised the government for rejecting a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke takes a look at their past interactions here:
Musk and Starmer: A history of their relationship from summer riots to grooming gangs
Sir Keir Starmer’s latest spat with Elon Musk has its roots in tensions that began months ago
Not enough determination to get to bottom of grooming scandals, whistleblower warns
There is still not a strong enough determination to get to the bottom of grooming scandals, a whistleblower has said.
Maggie Oliver, a former detective who resigned from Greater Manchester Police in 2012, believes victims and survivors would have to be “at the centre” of any inquiry.
She told Times Radio: “The question has to be, who would lead it? What would it achieve? Victims and survivors have to be at the centre of this.”
She added: “The 20 recommendations of the national abuse inquiry have still not been implemented - that’s the start.
“Maybe gather together all the evidence we already have from the local inquiries in Rochdale, in Rotherham, in Manchester, and that could be the start of the process, add victims’ voices to that, and have people who are truly knowledgeable analysing it. Well, maybe that’s the way forward.”
Government unable to give timeline for implementing child sex abuse inquiry recommendations
The victims minister was unable to provide a timeline for implementing the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, saying the Government was working “quickly”.
Alex Davies-Jones told Times Radio: “I can’t give you a timeline but what I can tell you is we are working very, very quickly.
“A lot of these recommendations can be implemented quickly. As you heard from the Home Secretary yesterday, we’ve already begun that work and some of those new offences that have been announced will be in our Crime and Policing Bill brought in later this year.”
Adding that the Government would provide “more information soon”, she said: “I want to do this as quickly as possible. It’s very complicated, this is not a quick fix overnight.”
Watch: Elon Musk’s father believes ‘good chance’ Tommy Robinson will be prime minister one day
MPs grill McDonald’s boss on labour rights amid sexual harrassment claims
McDonald’s is facing fresh claims of widespread harassment across its UK branches as hundreds of young current and former workers join a legal action against the company.
More than 700 people who were aged 19 or younger when working at McDonald’s have instructed law firm Leigh Day to take legal action on their behalf. The claims come as UK chief executive Alistair Macrow faced questions from MPs on Tuesday on employment rights.
McDonald’s facing new harassment claims as UK boss set to be questioned by MPs
More than 700 current and former workers are bringing claims including discrimination, homophobia, racism and harassment.
UK long-term borrowing costs jump to highest level since 1998
The UK’s long-term government borrowing costs have lifted to their highest level since 1998, in a potential blow for the Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
The yield on 30-year gilts – the return on Government bonds – increased on Tuesday by four basis points to 5.22 per cent, surpassing the spike seen in 2023.
It ramps up the pressure on the Treasury’s headroom for increased public spending, amid the prospect of higher interest costs.
Henry Saker-Clark has the full report:
UK long-term borrowing costs jump to highest level since 1998
The yield on 30-year gilts increased on Tuesday by four basis points to 5.22%, surpassing the spike seen in 2023.
Breaking: Conservatives to seek support for new child grooming inquiry in symbolic vote
The Conservatives will seek to garner support for a new nationwide child grooming investigation with a symbolic vote in the Commons, amid an ongoing spat between ministers and billionaire Elon Musk.
Sir Keir Starmer’s Government has faced a slew of attacks from X and Tesla owner Mr Musk in recent days, after Home Office minister Jess Phillips declined a request for a nationally led inquiry in Oldham.
The Tories have joined calls by Mr Musk for a new UK-wide inquiry into child sexual abuse, despite a wide-ranging independent probe having concluded its work in 2022.
On Wednesday, Kemi Badenoch’s party will bring forward an amendment to the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which is expected to call for ministers to establish a “national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation, focused on grooming gangs”.
The amendment is unlikely to be supported by a majority in the Commons, as the Government wants to roll out the recommendations of the investigation led by Professor Alexis Jay rather than open a new inquiry.
The non-binding amendment could not compel ministers to launch an inquiry and merely gives MPs a chance to voice their opinion on the issue.
A Labour spokesperson claimed the Conservatives were “attempting to block this Government’s plans to keep the most at-risk children in our country safe from harm”.
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