LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the spread of falsehoods and misinformation undermining U.K. democracy on Monday, responding to a wave of attacks.
Since the center-left Labour Party’s July election victory, Musk has shown a volatile and intense interest in British politics. Using X, his social media platform, Musk has advocated for a new election and Starmer’s imprisonment. On Monday, he polled his 210 million followers: “Should America liberate the British people from their tyrannical government?”
Responding to Musk’s remarks, Starmer criticized the widespread dissemination of lies and misinformation, particularly by Conservative politicians who have echoed Musk’s assertions.
Musk has actively engaged in commentary about the U.K., retweeting criticism of Starmer and the hashtag TwoTierKeir – a reference to the unsubstantiated claim of a “two-tier policing” system.
Recently, Musk has focused on child sexual abuse cases in northern England, involving men largely of Pakistani descent. Far-right activists have linked these cases to immigration and criticized politicians for alleged cover-ups to avoid accusations of racism.
Musk has called for a public inquiry into these cases. While an inquiry was conducted under the previous Conservative government in 2022, many of its recommendations remain unimplemented.
Musk also accused Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice during his tenure as England’s director of public prosecutions (2008-2013).
Responding to questions after a speech, Starmer defended his record, stating he reopened closed cases and altered the prosecution approach to child sexual exploitation.
He also condemned Musk’s remarks about Jess Phillips, a government minister, calling her a “rape genocide apologist” and suggesting imprisonment. “When far-right rhetoric results in serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, a line has been crossed,” Starmer stated. “Robust political debate is essential, but it must be grounded in facts and truth, not falsehoods.”
Starmer largely avoided mentioning Musk by name, likely to avoid amplifying his platform. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has adopted a similar strategy, remaining “cool” towards Musk’s criticism but expressing concern about his election interference attempts, particularly in relation to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Starmer emphasized that the core issue was not Musk’s X posts, but the actions of British politicians. He criticized Conservative politicians for amplifying far-right narratives to gain attention.
“Ignoring the importance of truth leads down a dangerous path,” he concluded.