A Greater Manchester MP and government minister has called on Elon Musk to focus on the United States – as Oldham’s council leader reaffirmed her commitment to a new inquiry on child sexual abuse. The world’s richest man waded in on a row surrounding a Home Office decision not to launch an inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the town.
Instead, the Government says Oldham Council should launch the inquiry itself. The Home Office’s position, outlined by safeguarding minister Jess Phillips on Thursday (January 2), was condemned by Mr Musk – the owner of social media platform X, formerly Twitter – who even suggested Parliament should be dissolved ‘for the sake and security’ of the UK.
Mr Musk shared a series of posts on his platform X overnight condemning the Labour government. He even suggested Ms Phillips ‘deserves to be in prison’ after the minister stated it was ‘for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry’.
But despite the escalating row – and government minister Andrew Gwynne telling Mr Musk to ‘focus on matters in the US’ – Oldham Council has already committed to a local inquiry on child sexual exploitation, following a vote in July.
Coun Arooj Shah, Labour leader of Oldham Council, reaffirmed that commitment in a statement issued on Thursday night. She said: “There is nothing more important for securing justice for the victims of these horrific crimes and no stone will be left unturned to hold perpetrators to account.
“Victims and survivors will be at the heart of how we move forward, and their voices will be heard. In July the council voted to ask the government to conduct an inquiry into non-recent child sexual exploitation in Oldham, or to conduct our own independent inquiry should the government turn down that request.
Coun Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council
(Image: Copyright Unknown)
“Since October, when the government confirmed we should carry out a local inquiry, we have been working on setting up that independent inquiry. That work has included liaising with Oldham survivors and Telford Council which conducted a similar inquiry.”
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse, which published its final report in 2022, described the sexual abuse of children as an ‘epidemic that leaves tens of thousands of victims in its poisonous wake’. Led by Professor Alexis Jay, the inquiry looked into abuse by organised groups following multiple convictions of sexual offences against children across the UK between 2010-2014, including in Rotherham, Cornwall, Derbyshire, Rochdale and Bristol.
In November last year, Professor Jay said she felt ‘frustrated’ that none of the probe’s 20 recommendations had been implemented more than two years after its conclusion.
‘Elon Musk should focus on US’
Health minister Andrew Gwynne, Labour MP for Gorton and Denton, has promised that his party will take the issue of child sexual exploitation seriously – with the Government considering the previous report’s recommendations.
And he criticised Mr Musk for wading into the row after the X owner continued to wade into the debate overnight with a series of posts attacked the government.
Speaking to LBC this morning, Mr Gwynne suggested the Tesla owner – who looks set to take an influential role in the Donald Trump administration – should focus on matters in the US rather than wade into British affairs. “Elon Musk is an American citizen and perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic,” he said.
Health minister Andrew Gwynne
(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“But look, the grooming issue is a very serious issue. We’ve already had inquiries into Telford, into Rotherham, we’ve had a local inquiry commissioned by Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, into the situation here in Greater Manchester which includes Oldham. We’ve had the national child sexual exploitation inquiry in 2022 which the Government is seriously considering, there is a long list of recommendations that was made.
“There comes a point where we don’t need more inquiries, and had Elon Musk really paid attention to what’s been going on in this country, he might have recognised that there have already been inquiries. What we need is justice for the victims, and we need to make sure that the criminal justice system follows up and make sure that these atrocious things are never able to happen again.”
Coun Shah says work on Oldham’s new local inquiry will step up in 2025. She added: “Child sexual exploitation is a vile form of child abuse, and the failings of the past are shameful. We have a duty not to repeat them and this inquiry will help strengthen local safeguarding and – most importantly protect Oldham’s children.
“The independent inquiry will build on the findings of the Greater Manchester inquiry into non-recent safeguarding issues in Oldham which was published in 2022 by the Mayor’s office and which we fully supported at Oldham Council.
“We’re working closely with survivors and survivors’ families to ensure they don’t just have a voice, but will have a central role in developing this inquiry. We expect terms of reference to be agreed in the coming months.”
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, also stepped into the row by calling for a new national inquiry into grooming gangs – although her party had turned down the chance to launch one while in power.