PM attacks spread of 'lies' on grooming gangs

The prime minister has attacked politicians and activists "spreading lies and misinformation" over grooming gangs.

It comes after multi-billionaire Elon Musk accused Sir Keir Starmer of being "complicit in the rape of Britain" during his tenure as director of public prosecutions for failing to tackle grooming gangs.

Senior Conservatives and Reform UK MPs have also spent the week calling for a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation.

But Sir Keir said: "Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims, they're interested in themselves."

He said the online debate had "crossed a line", resulting in threats against MPs, including Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips.

Sir Keir went on to accuse the Tories of "jumping on a bandwagon" to gain attention.

Without naming anyone, he said Conservative MPs were "amplifying what the far-right is saying" on child sexual abuse after falling to act "for 14 long years".