Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has responded to that the “disinformation” spread by Elon Musk was “endangering” her but that it was “nothing” compared to the experiences of abuse victims.
The tech billionaire and adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump labeled Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she should be jailed.
When asked if the threat to her safety had increased since Musk’s social media posts and whether protections were in place, Phillips replied “yes.”
She described the experience as “very, very, very tiring” but said she was “resigned to the lot in life that you get as a woman who fights violence against women and girls.” She added, “I’m no stranger to people who don’t know what they’re talking about trying to silence women like me.”
Musk’s intervention came after Phillips rejected a request for the government to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham, sparking calls from the Conservatives and Reform UK for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.
Her decision, made in October, was first reported by GB News at the start of the year and then picked up by Musk on his social media platform X.
Phillips defended the government’s decision not to hold a national inquiry, arguing that local inquiries, such as one held in Telford, were more effective at leading to change.
