'Work With Us, Not Against Us': UK Hits Back at Misinformed Musk on Child Abuse Grooming Gangs

London: The UK government on Friday hit back at Elon Musk for using his social media platform X to attack the Labour Party’s handling of the grooming gang scandal of child sexual abuse and sought more positive actions in tackling the issue.

Musk has been severely critical of the British government's handling of young girls’ sexual exploitation across several towns and cities in England more than a decade ago, in many cases involving gangs of Pakistani-origin men.

The Tesla chief has even claimed Prime Minister Keir Starmer failed to bring "rape gangs" to justice when he led the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over a decade ago.

“Some of the criticisms that Elon Musk has made, I think are misjudged and certainly misinformed,” UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting told reporters on being asked about the attacks.

"But we're willing to work with Elon Musk. I think he's got a big role to play with his social media platform to help us and other countries to tackle this serious issue. So, if he wants to work with us, roll his sleeves up. We'd welcome that," he said.

The issue was thrown into the spotlight when it emerged that Home Office Minister Jess Phillips rejected Oldham Council's call for a government-led inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation and asked the council to lead the review instead.

The Opposition Conservatives are also calling for a national inquiry into the issue, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch posting on X that “trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots. 2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice".

The sexual exploitation of young girls by grooming gangs has been a contentious issue raised by several far-right campaigners over the years.

An inquiry into these grooming gangs in Rotherham found 1,400 children had been sexually abused over 16 years, predominantly by British Pakistani men.

Inquiries covering other parts of northern England also highlighted similar concerns, in many cases involving men of South Asian heritage.

Shadow ministers have now written to UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to reverse her junior minister’s decision not to hold a national inquiry into the concerns raised in Oldham.

"Only a statutory inquiry can adequately encompass the national nature of these crimes and issues,” the letter reads.

The British government has said it is committed to implementing the recommendations of Professor Alexis Jay's report from a 2022 national inquiry into child sexual abuse.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) has made 20 recommendations and Professor Jay recently noted: "It doesn't need more consultation, it does not need more research or discussion, it just needs to be done."