Musk’s grooming attack shows that politics needs a new playbook

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Let us recognize this recent political uproar over the preparation of gang scandals for what it is. The sudden hypocritical concern among right-wing politicians about a subset of child rape victims – exclusively those abused by men of Pakistani origin – is beyond cynical.

Conservative leaders who failed to implement the recommendations of the last child sexual abuse inquiry are suddenly calling for a new one. The runner-up for the Tory leadership blames the abuse on “foreign cultures” (were they foreign cultures when the perpetrators were Roman Catholic or Anglican?). A Reform UK MP is calling for an investigation into “why young British white girls are being raped by men of Pakistani origin”. The intent is clear and is fueled by competition for Elon Musk’s ethno-nationalist leanings.

It’s a dream scandal for those who take advantage of it. Either they push through their demand for a new nationwide investigation, which is then further exploited, or they cry out for a cover-up. And it contributes to a broader agenda aimed at destroying trust in the institutions of liberal society.

We can see the untruth of many claims. The grooming gangs that preyed on young girls in towns such as Rotherham, Oxford, Oldham and Telford were not ignored. There have been several requests over the last decade. It wasn’t revealed by street gangster Tommy Robinson, but by The Times newspaper – there’s no more mainstream media. Indeed, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, then Director of Public Prosecutions, was praised for pushing for convictions.

But once you get past the cynicism, here’s the thing. These atrocities actually took place. The abuse was disgusting and persistent; the details terrible. Ordinary people had failed shockingly. Misplaced sensitivity to the fact that a large proportion of the gangs were made up of men of Pakistani background and fear of appearing racist shamefully took precedence over the prosecution of the perpetrators. Equally significant was the police and authorities’ contempt for the victims, whom they dismissed as lower class.

The case for further, more specific investigation of grooming gang cases is not clear. In Starmer’s words, “reasonable people” can disagree on this. The core facts and common patterns of failure in abuse cases (a close-knit community of perpetrators, a power imbalance, and disregard for victims) are now well known. There have been many local inquiries, although it is not entirely accurate to say that this aspect has been fully covered in the wide-ranging Alexis Jay investigation. The view is justified that it would be better to proceed with the implementation of their recommendations.

And yet, even to make these points is to know that it will not be enough. Opposing an investigation is a very hard sell. It is hard to believe that the government’s line will hold up – although given the data and history of white offenders, there is no reason to limit such an investigation exclusively to perpetrators of one ethnic group.

Because this flare-up underscores something else. Politics can no longer be conducted as before. Musk’s direct and manic interventions on behalf of the hard right across Western nations – a form of MAGA imperialism – as well as the power of TikTok and Meta’s withdrawal from fact-checking and moderation mark the final stage in the abolition of the old rules of discourse. Since the arrests linked to social media posts that incited the Southport riots, Musk has become particularly hostile towards Starmer.

Gone are the days of pompous contempt or refuting arguments with a single judicial speech broadcast live on the current television news channels. The debate no longer focuses on a handful of media outlets that can be managed. Undesirable decisions cannot be quietly passed on to the public. Social media and podcasts that shape the news agenda operate outside the rules. The battle is waged with speed, extreme language, misinformation and brutally exaggerated posts. The challenge for mainstream parties is that political success requires mastery of a medium that does not lend itself to nuance, statistics or technocratic detail. It makes it even harder to govern.

This brutal terrain requires almost immediate recognition of issues that have broader resonance. One reason the demand for an investigation is so strong is that it seems reasonable and draws ordinary citizens to the side of the agitators.

The majority of the country is not anti-immigrant. It is pro-control, pro-inclusion and, above all, pro-fairness. Citizens will not tolerate the deep evil being gently attacked for reasons of racial sensitivity. They expect common standards to be enforced – the “two-tier Keir” moniker is extremely dangerous for Starmer.

A final shortcoming was the pace of change at the national level. Inquiries are made, recommendations are accepted and then rejected. The attention moves elsewhere. The Jay investigation lasted seven years and two more years have passed since then. The data situation is still insufficient. A key proposal for a new offense of failure to act following reports of abuse was not put forward. The Conservatives dawdled and Labor acted, according to Musk. Citizens are rightly disgusted and now have the opportunity to make their voices heard in an unfiltered manner.

This saga is a brutal example of how Musk has pushed online politics to its inevitable endpoint. The territory has changed irrevocably. Unless mainstream leaders want to continue down the ill-advised path of censorship, they need a new playbook. The digital landscape will mercilessly punish those who stay in analogue mode.

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