Tech billionaire and X CEO Elon Musk has been called out on his own platform for spreading misinformation about UK MPs and the grooming gangs scandal.
The world’s richest man has been repeatedly attacking the Labour government since they won the election. In recent weeks, he has started accusing ministers of inaction over gang rape and child abuse.
He also called for both Keir Starmer and his safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to go to jail – sparking an angry response from both.
Overnight, Musk turned to cross-party criticism and posted an edited image, showing a list of parliamentarians – MPs and peers from multiple parties – along with the caption: “Here is a list of MP’s [sic] who voted against deporting foreign rapists. They all need removing.”
Musk added: “Remember these names next election.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey’s name was also circled in red.
But some of those listed are no longer MPs. And, as X users pointed out themselves, the letter is actually from February 2020 and has nothing to do with what Musk claimed.
The attached community note read: “This is a letter urging the government to not deport 50 victims of the Windrush Scandal back to Jamaica.
“It was not a vote, and it had nothing to do with foreign rapists.”
The note added a link to the letter, led by MP Nadia Whittome, on Labour’s website, proving Musk’s image is misleading.
Embarrassingly, Musk promoted the community notes feature as his flagship policy when he took over the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022.
However, when he was fact-checked in December 2023 on the platform over the detention of a US YouTuber in Ukraine, he claimed he was “gamed by state actors”.
The red circling of Davey’s name in this latest image follows the Lib Dem’s post on X criticising Musk earlier this week.
Davey wrote: “People have had enough of Elon Musk interfering with our country’s democracy when he clearly knows nothing about Britain.
“It’s time to summon the US ambassador to ask why an incoming US official is suggesting the UK government should be overthrown.”
Musk, who has posted more than 100 times about grooming gangs in the last week, replied: “What exactly do I fail to understand about your failure to stop the mass rape of little girls in Britain, you sniveling [sic] cretin?”
Davey is not the only person to slap down Musk over his controversial comments.
The prime minister told journalists the tech mogul had “crossed a line” with his online attacks, while Phillips said she was worried about her safety as a result.