Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has advised ORIONEWS’s Newsnight that “disinformation” unfold by Elon Musk was “endangering” her however that it was “nothing” in comparison with the experiences of victims of abuse.
The tech billionaire and adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump labelled Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and stated she must be jailed.
Requested if the menace to her personal security had gone up since his social media posts and whether or not protections had been in place, Phillips replied “sure”.
She stated the expertise had been “very, very, very tiring” however that she was “resigned to the lot in life that you just get as a lady who fights violence in opposition to girls and ladies”.
She added: “I am no stranger to individuals who do not know what they’re speaking about making an attempt to silence girls like me.”
The row between Musk and the UK authorities considerations circumstances of teams of males – primarily of Pakistani descent – being convicted for sexually abusing and raping predominantly white ladies across the UK.
Musk’s intervention got here in response to Phillips rejecting a request for the federal government to guide a public inquiry into youngster sexual exploitation in Oldham – which sparked calls from the Conservatives and Reform UK for a nationwide inquiry into grooming gangs.
Phillips determination was taken in October however first reported by GB Information firstly of the 12 months, after which picked up by Musk on his social media platform X.
Phillips defended the federal government’s determination to not maintain a nationwide inquiry, arguing that native inquiries, comparable to one held in Telford, had been simpler at main to vary.
“What I noticed occur in Telford is the precise reverse of what I’ve seen occur due to the nationwide skilled inquiry for the final two years because it got here out – I noticed change occur,” she stated.
She stated she can be getting council leaders collectively to study the teachings from Telford.
“When individuals say it is the council marking their very own homework, it is not.
“It’s an unbiased inquiry led regionally and it is the one mannequin I’ve seen work, and I’ve labored on this discipline for 15 years.”
The Impartial Inquiry into Youngster Sexual Abuse, which lasted seven years and reported in 2022, made 20 suggestions – nonetheless, none has but been applied.
Talking to the Right this moment programme earlier Professor Alexis Jay, who led the inquiry, stated: “We have had sufficient of inquiries, consultations and discussions… we now have set out what motion is required and other people ought to simply get on with it regionally and nationally.”
Nonetheless, Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick argued {that a} new nationwide inquiry was wanted, saying: “We now know a lot extra.”
He added: “The Jay assessment checked out six cities. We now suspect that a minimum of 50 cities have had grooming gangs of this sort.
“We will attempt to stop different susceptible younger ladies from being on this place once more, and the frankly cowardly officers and councillors who’ve coated this up will also be dropped at justice.”

Requested about her response to Musk’s feedback about her personally, Phillips stated his remarks had been “ridiculous”.
She stated the criticism she was at the moment dealing with can be “value it… provided that we make an precise change”.
“And if I’ve to undergo all of this and I have never modified the way in which native areas take care of grooming gangs in two years’ time, it would not have been value it,” she added.
She stated solutions Labour politicians nervous inquiries can be unpopular with their very own voters was “an absolute load of garbage”.
Phillips, who ran a home abuse refuge earlier than turning into a Labour MP, additionally strongly defended her personal report on tackling violence in opposition to girls.
“I’ve labored on this discipline for years. I’ve met with, I’ve supported, for quite a few years, ladies who’re nonetheless being groomed.
“I’ve travelled throughout the nation in the course of the night time, one thing that I very a lot doubt that [Conservative leader] Kemi Badenoch or [shadow home secretary] Chris Philp have achieved to get a younger lady, actually whereas she was bleeding from a battering… to take her to a spot of security.”
On Monday, Dwelling Secretary Yvette Cooper set out actions she was taking to implement the suggestions of the Jay assessment, together with prison sanctions for individuals who fail to report youngster sexual abuse.
Phillips dismissed solutions the federal government had been prompted into motion by Musk’s interventions.
“To be completely apparent, the issues that Yvette Cooper was saying yesterday are all issues that we had been working extremely exhausting on guaranteeing,” she stated.
“So all of these items are issues that may be occurring – all that this present furore has achieved is made it so that everyone’s speaking about it.”
In a separate interview with Sky Information, Phillips urged Musk ought to “crack on with this ‘attending to Mars'”.
“Elon Musk goes to Elon Musk. I’ve received greater and extra vital issues to be occupied with,” she stated.