If he was inciting violence, then that would be going beyond the line at which free speech is acceptable
Nigel Farage has refused to condemn Elon Musk’s comments calling safeguarding minister Jess Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and claiming she should be jailed for refusing to launch a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham.
Farage stated that the owner of X’s comments, part of a series of posts attacking Jess Phillips and Keir Starmer, had not gone “beyond the line”, contrary to the prime minister’s statement yesterday.
Publicly addressing Musk’s comments for the first time during a press conference yesterday, Starmer said “when the poison of the far-right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed”.
On LBC radio’s breakfast show this morning, Farage said he did not agree with describing Phillips as a “rape genocide apologist” but would not condemn Musk’s comment.
LBC’s Nick Ferrari asked Farage if he would challenge Musk’s remarks about Phillips. Farage responded: “If he was inciting violence, then that would be going beyond the line at which free speech is acceptable.”
Farage said Musk had used “very, very strong language, and it offends many, but then free speech should be able to offend many”.
During the phone-in, the Reform UK leader said he thinks he will be able to mend his relationship with Musk, despite the tech billionaire saying over the weekend that he didn’t believe Farage had “what it takes” to lead Reform.
Yesterday, the prime minister, who Musk said was “complicit in the rape of Britain”, criticised Musk and others for “spreading lies and misinformation”, adding, “they’re not interested in victims, they’re interested in themselves”.
Starmer also highlighted that Phillips has done “a thousand times more” to protect victims of sexual abuse than those who are attacking her “have even dreamt about”.
He also stated that, during his five years as director of public prosecutions (DPP), he focused on tackling child sexual exploitation “head-on”, acknowledging that “for many, many years too many victims have been completely let down”.
He noted his record as DPP, noting that he reopened grooming cases that had been closed and brought the first major prosecution of an Asian grooming gang in Rochdale.
Starmer voiced concern about Conservative politicians being “so desperate for attention they are amplifying what the far right are saying”.
He stressed that politicians in the UK have a responsibility “in calling this out for what it is, and distancing themselves and condemning it”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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