'Just don't listen to him': Elon Musk's dad urges public to ignore son amid escalating grooming gangs row

6 January 2025, 18:18 | Updated: 6 January 2025, 19:24

Elon Musk's father has urged people to "ignore" his son amid an escalating row over grooming gangs, free speech and election interference.

Speaking with Tom Swarbrick on Monday, Errol Musk told LBC that "people don't have to listen to what he says".

It comes after the tech billionaire accused the Prime Minister of failing to tackle grooming gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer said Elon Musk is "desperate for attention" and urged him to stop spreading “lies” and "whipping up intimidation".

He added that threats made against ministers, such as safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, meant "in my book, a line has been crossed".

While he encouraged the public to disregard his son's online messages, Errol Musk then proceeded to criticise the UK, describing it as "draconian".

Errol Musk Video

'Get lost'

When discussing his son's interest in UK politics, Errol Musk said: "I mean, he's just a person. The fact that he has money or something, he's a billionaire or something to that effect.

"I mean, hundreds of thousands of people are tweeting the same things or saying the same things as he is.

"So I wouldn't just because he's a person that stands out more that they can knock him or just don't listen to him, that's all.

"I'd say don't worry about it. Tell him to get lost."

However, during the chat Errol Musk also defended his son when probed by Swarbrick on why Elon was so invested in the political situation.

He referenced a deep connection to England saying that he took Elon there for the first time aged six and that Elon celebrated his 30th birthday there by renting a castle for a week.

Errol Musk furthered his warnings about the UK saying "if you're a student of history, and I am a student of history, you would look at history and you would realise what's going on there."

Read more: Keir Starmer slams 'desperate' Elon Musk for spreading 'lies' and 'whipping up intimidation'

Read more: Married prison officer jailed for 15 months after being filmed having sex with inmate

'Whipping up intimidation'

Speaking on the matter on Monday, the Prime Minister said people voicing support for jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson, as Elon Musk has, are not interested in justice.

He said: "Those who are cheerleading Tommy Robinson are not interested in justice. They're supporting a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing a grooming case, a gang grooming case.

"These are people who are trying to get some vicarious thrill from street violence that people like Tommy Robinson promote.

Sir Keir Starmer hits back at Elon Musk and ‘poison of the far-right’

"Those attacking Jess Phillips, who I am proud to call a colleague and a friend, are not protecting victims.

"Jess Phillips has done a thousand times more than they've even dreamt about when it comes to protecting victims of sexual abuse throughout her entire career."

He went on: "We've seen this playbook many times, whipping up of intimidation and threats of violence, hoping that the media will amplify it."

Yvette Cooper said that arrests made by the child sexual exploitation police taskforce had increased by 25% between July and September last year.   

The Home Secretary acknowledged the previous Conservative government for setting up the body, which targets group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.   

She said: "That sits alongside the Tackling Organised Exploitation programme, which is using advanced data and analytics to uncover the complex networks."

Labour MP Paul Waugh (Rochdale) said some people had treated child rape as a "political game" in recent days, rather than as an "appalling crime".

James' response to Elon Musk's tweets