Elon Musk has done nothing but harm by wading into the grooming scandal
The IndependentMoney talks, as they say – and if you’re the richest person on the planet, then the amplification that can be exerted on your random thoughts is awesome indeed. Ironically, Mr Musk’s latest activities seem to be a powerful case study into what happens when someone spends too much time on social media; sincerely believes that it is a reliable source of news and analysis; and falls prey to easily disproved conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation. The assertion, say, that “Starmer repeatedly ignored the pleas of vast numbers of little girls and their parents, in order to secure political support” – and that the prime minister is “despicable”, “complicit in the rape of Britain” “for votes”. Mr Musk is already a key adviser to Donald Trump; a sometimes styled “first buddy” – and will exert considerable influence in the second Trump administration. They can be ignored no longer as mere “shock jocks”, because into the vacuum on social media generated by Sir Keir’s dignified silence there have flowed ever more wild accusations and untruths – ones that not only distort politics, but distress the survivors and obscure the truth about what happened to them.