Phillips hits out at Farage over children's safety online
Ms Phillips, the Home Office minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, appeared to accuse Nigel Farage of being more concerned about 'clicks for his monetised social media accounts' than children's safety online.
She backed her colleague Peter Kyle after his row with the Reform UK leader last week.
The Technology Secretary said Mr Farage was putting himself on the side of 'extreme pornographers' and people like Savile by opposing the law.
Under rules that came into effect on July 25 as part of the act, online platforms such as social media sites and search engines must take steps to prevent children from accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide.
Mr Farage has said the legislation threatens freedom of speech and open debate.
Writing in The Times, Ms Phillips said: 'Farage said it's the biggest threat to freedom of speech in our lifetimes.
'My colleague Peter Kyle said he was siding with modern-day Jimmy Saviles preying on children online.'
She said she would like to speak to Mr Farage about 'one of those modern-day Saviles, Alexander McCartney'.
McCartney, who posed as a teenage girl to befriend young females from across the globe on Snapchat and other platforms before blackmailing them, 'just needed a computer' to reach his targets, Ms Phillips wrote.
Believed to be one of the world's most prolific online offenders, McCartney abused at least 70 children online and drove one girl to suicide.
Ms Phillips said the Online Safety Act exists to try to provide a 'basic minimum of protection, and make it harder for paedophiles to prey on children at will'.
She said police have told her that paedophile networks use 'normal websites where their parents assume they're safe' to coerce and blackmail young people.
'Perhaps Nigel Farage doesn't worry about that — there's no political advantage in it, and no clicks for his monetised social media accounts. But I do.
'I worry about what it means now and what it will mean when boys reared on a diet of ultraviolent online child abuse are adult men having children of their own. I can't ignore that, neither can Peter Kyle, and, most importantly, nor can millions of parents across the country.
'I defy Nigel Farage to tell me what any of that has to do with free speech.
'I defy him to meet even one parent who has lost a daughter to suicide because she was being blackmailed online and tell them that is just the price of civil liberties. Maybe he'd feel differently after that kind of meeting, or maybe he wouldn't care.'
Her comments echo those of Mr Kyle, who said last week: 'Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side.'
Mr Farage demanded an apology from the Technology Secretary, who refused to withdraw the remarks.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Nigel Farage should do his bit to keep the peace
There is no situation where an intervention by Nigel Farage won't make things worse. He has, after all, made a career out of detecting, exploiting and exacerbating people's grievances and fears, a grim cycle that has delivered electoral success. The man is gifted in his insidious trade, if nothing else. Nowhere is this strategy more dangerously deployed than in issues of migration, race and crime, so often shamelessly conflated by the Reform UK leader with a studied and long-experienced hand. It is done almost instinctively. Once, he even blamed being late for a 'meet-the-Ukip leader' event in Wales on traffic jams on the M4 caused by immigration, rather than, say, the infamous bottleneck at Newport. Rather more grievously, his actions in the aftermath of the horrific Southport murders a year ago did nothing to calm tempers and stop the wild social media speculation that the person responsible was a Muslim asylum seeker who'd more or less just arrived in Britain, via a small boat. He plainly has no regrets and is approaching the disclosure of details concerning the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton in the same reckless manner. He and his Reform UK colleagues on Warwickshire County Council are demanding, as Mr Farage did last year, that the immigration status of those involved be released by the police. The justification, once again, is that there is a 'cover-up' – a serious allegation made without foundation – and people are being denied the truth, presumably through some sense of misguided political correctness. Mr Farage implies, as he did last year, that this 'cover-up' – which he presumably sees as a deliberate attempt to deceive the public – only serves to create confusion and inflame feelings. In fact, of course, it is he who is creating additional tension, adding to a sense of injustice and the fear that the police are more interested in defending perpetrators than defending victims, despite the obvious truth that those accused have been caught and taken into custody by those same police, doing their duty. It is difficult to see why the migration status of everyone arrested on a serious offence should be automatically released, as Mr Farage suggests, even when it is immediately known for sure. If the person involved is a refugee, for example, accepted for indefinite leave to remain, then that does not make them 'more guilty' or their offence 'more serious' simply by the fact that they may have escaped from torture or some war zone. There is a strong probability that migration status will be equated to race, which is even less relevant. The only possible valid use of immigration status in the criminal justice system is if the person is convicted. At that point, the question of deportation does arise. The fact is that someone's immigration status can affect the feelings of many perfectly law-abiding and worried people demonstrating outside 'migrant hotels' (real or imagined) up and down the country on legitimate grounds. They are not all fascists or racists, still less pathologically violent. They are angry and fearful at what they learn from the news and the speculation on social media, and they deserve to be told the facts. But there is just the suspicion that immigration status can, in some grotesque, emotionally-charged way, lead to violence and mob rule. It is, quite simply, wrong and criminally so, to attempt arson on a hotel with human beings inside, whatever the circumstances. It doesn't help anyone or solve anything. If a rapist comes from a family that can trace its English origins to Anglo-Saxon times, that should make people no more or less angry than if the criminal has only lived here for a matter of weeks and is from some country in Africa or the Middle East. Race should play no part in justice, even mob justice. It would be refreshing, statesmanlike and a genuinely great public service if Mr Farage and those like him used their public platform to call for calm and peaceful protest, and not display so much apparent tacit support for angry, violent reactions in tense demonstrations. His warnings sound too much like self-fulfilling prophecies, as when he declared a few weeks ago: 'I don't think anybody in London understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale in this country.' Given what happened last July and early August, the opposite is surely true: ministers and police chiefs are all too well aware of such a possibility. The difference is that, unlike Mr Farage, they don't seem to be talking it up. It would make a useful change if Mr Farage didn't make everything into a 'cover-up' and accept that, in many cases, details are withheld for sound legal reasons concerning a fair trial and the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act 1981. The police should not have to break the law and risk upsetting a trial and letting the guilty go free simply because of the threat of a riot if they don't, or accusations of 'two-tier policing'. What's more, Mr Farage shouldn't call for the resignation of chief constables, or any other officers, who are trying to keep the oaths they took to uphold the laws set down by parliament and the King's peace. Standing up for the police, defending the independent judiciary, condemning violence and respecting human rights are, in fact, the patriotic British things to do at times such as these. If he cares about the cohesion of communities and the rule of law as deeply as he claims, Mr Farage should do his bit to keep the peace as well.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sir Keir Starmer calls for police to be 'as transparent as possible' over ethnicity of sex offence suspects: PM forced to step in as Nigel Farage leads fury over 'cover-up of alleged attack on girl, 1
Sir Keir Starmer has called for the police to be as 'transparent as possible' about the ethnicity of suspected sex offenders. The Prime Minister was forced to respond on Monday after Nigel Farage's demanded that police disclose the backgrounds of those charged with rape and sexual assault. It comes after the Mail on Sunday revealed that two Afghan asylum seekers have been charged in connection with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. In a press conference on Monday, the Reform UK leader accused police of a 'cover-up' for failing to divulge the ethnicity or immigration status of the two men. He warned that it was 'reminiscent' of speculation about the background of the Southport killer last year which triggered a wave of conspiracy theories and riots last summer. Appearing alongside him, the 19-year-old Reform leader of Warwickshire County Council said he had 'begged' the police force to release details of the men's backgrounds. George Finch claimed he had been told he could not release information about the men's background himself 'due to this phrase 'community cohesion'.' Mr Farage's intervention prompted Downing Street to tell the police to be as 'transparent as possible' when it came to revealing the ethnicity of people charged with offences. Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) has called for the police to be as 'transparent as possible' about the ethnicity of suspected sex offenders. The Prime Minister's spokesman said the Government had 'always said, and continues to say, that transparency is important' The Prime Minister was forced to respond on Monday after Nigel Farage's demanded that police disclose the backgrounds of those charged with rape and sexual assault. In a press conference on Monday, the Reform UK leader accused police of a 'cover-up' The Prime Minister's spokesman said the Government had 'always said, and continues to say, that transparency is important'. He said the case in Nuneaton was 'clearly a deeply upsetting and distressing case, which the public are right to feel shocked and angry about.' 'Our position is that all authorities, from the police up to central government, should be as transparent as possible when handling these cases,' he added. Mr Farage said on Monday that it was 'absolutely disgraceful' that the police had not informed the public that the men were Afghan asylum seekers. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was charged with rape and Mohammad Kabir, also 23, was charged with aiding and abetting an assault, as well as strangulation and kidnapping. The Reform leader said that the backgrounds of suspects charged with sexual assault and rape should be shared with the public. 'Our position is that all authorities, from the police up to central government, should be as transparent as possible when handling these cases,' he said. 'Given there's a pretty febrile atmosphere... particularly [around] sexual assaults and rapes, where the temperature on this debate has risen significantly... I do believe they should [disclose suspects' ethnicities].' Mr Farage said on Monday that it was 'absolutely disgraceful' that the police had not informed the public that the men were Afghan asylum seekers. The Reform leader said that the backgrounds of suspects charged with sexual assault and rape should be shared publicly The PM's spokesman said the case in Nuneaton (pictured) was 'clearly a deeply upsetting and distressing case, which the public are right to feel shocked and angry about' Sir Keir has responded to Nigel Farage's warning that a 'police cover-up was 'reminiscent' of speculation about the background of the Southport killer last year which triggered a wave of conspiracy theories and riots last summer He warned that failing to disclose these details could lead to a repeat of the riots which happened in the wake of the murders of three children last year. 'What caused unrest on our streets after Southport last year was us not being told the status of the attacker,' he said. 'That led to crazy conspiracy theories spreading online.' The aftermath of the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event by Axel Rudakubana a year ago sparked riots across the country. The unrest was fuelled by conspiracy theories and speculation on social media that the suspect was an illegal migrant. Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, later said that the failure to share basic facts had led to 'dangerous fictions' which caused the riots. Warwickshire Police has defended its position on the Nuneaton case, stating: 'We follow national guidance,' adding that this does not extend to 'sharing ethnicity or immigration status'. 'Where relevant, sensitive information around locations, details of the crime and policing activity to catch offenders can be shared, with a warning that this is sensitive or confidential information and disclosure by those being briefed could affect future court hearings,' it said. Appearing alongside Farage, George Finch (pictured), the 19-year-old Reform leader of Warwickshire County Council said he had 'begged' the police force to release details of the men's backgrounds. but that police refused 'due to this phrase "community cohesion".' During the press conference, Mr Farage also revealed the defection of Rupert Matthews (pictured) , the Tory police and crime commissioner for Leicestershire The guidance is issued by the Royal College of Policing and covers what details should be released to media but does not mention details of race, ethnicity or immigration status. Mr Finch, the 19-year-old council leader, told the press conference that he had been 'begging' for information about the men to be released. He said he had emailed the council's chief executive to urge them to release information about the men's immigration status. He said he also wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and the chief constable of Warwickshire Police calling for the immediate release of their immigration status. In it, he claimed that a 'cover-up' of the men's background 'risks public disorder breaking out on the streets of Warwickshire'. 'Having my ear to the ground locally, it is clear that there is much appetite for protests to take place across the county,' the letter adds. During the press conference, Mr Farage also revealed the defection of Rupert Matthews, the Tory police and crime commissioner for Leicestershire. The former Tory MEP and party member for 40 years left the party because he said Britain needed to cut the 'dark heart of wokeness' out of the criminal justice system. The author of various books on ghosts and UFOs becomes the party's first police and crime commissioner.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Nigel Farage 'fanning flames of hatred' with 'dangerous' claims of 'cover-up'
One Labour MP described Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as a 'fake patriot' who is seeking to 'exploit division and fan the flames of hate for his own political gain' Nigel Farage has been accused of fanning the flames of hatred across Britain in a repeat of the lead-up to the Southport riots. The right-wing Reform UK leader was branded 'dangerous' on Monday after he suggested there had been a 'cover-up' in a sexual assault case in Warwicksire. The former Ukip chief told a press conference in central London it 'is reminiscent of what happened after the Southport killings last year'. It comes after Mr Farage's appearances on Sky News spark thousands of complaints Last summer swirling misinformation about the supposed suspect in the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in July, led to widespread riots across the country. Mr Farage was accused of stoking tensions after posting a provocative video on social media in the wake of the stabbings questioning 'whether the truth is being held from us'. It triggered mass fury from politicians and campaigners, including from Brendan Cox, the wife of murdered MP Jo Cox, who at the time branded Mr Farage "Tommy Robinson in a suit". Asked at an event in central London whether police should release the names, addresses and immigration status of all people after they have been charged with an offence, Mr Farage said on Monday: "What caused unrest on our streets after Southport last year was us not being told the status of the attacker. That led to crazy conspiracy theories spreading online." Pressed on whether police should be obliged to publish details of someone, Mr Farage said: "I absolutely think that they should." Mr Cox told The Mirror on Monday: 'Farage got the riots badly wrong last year. By seeming to justify the rioters he misjudged the mood of the nation who have absolutely no time for thuggery or conspiracy stories. It seems he hasn't learnt his lesson.' Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, also accused the Reform UK leader of seeking to 'fan the flames of hate' with his comments. He told The Mirror: 'Farage is a fake patriot who does not care about this country. He seeks to exploit division and fan the flames of hate for his own political gain - that is anti British and well below our standards.' One left-wing Labour MP accused Mr Farage of 'maliciously fanning the flames'. They said: "Only days ago Farage was forecasting mass civil disobedience. Now he's making unproven dark hints about 'cover-ups'. He's maliciously fanning the flames. But the overwhelming view of the British people is that they want their politicians to cool it, not to inflame feelings." Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: 'Victims must be at the heart of how all such cases are handled, whilst transparency and building public trust in our institutions is also important. But it's pretty rich to hear warnings of a febrile atmosphere from the very person fanning the flames. We are a nation of laws and decency, not hate and lawlessness.' Joe Mulhall, director of research at campaign group Hope not Hate, warned the 'anger and tension' seen in last summer's disorder had not gone away. He told The Mirror: 'In the right conditions, it could explode again. 'And I think it's extraordinarily dangerous, and that's why now is the sort of time when you expect your politicians to behave responsibly, not to try and exacerbate those tensions and create more anger for their own political desires.' Sabby Dhalu, Stand up to Racism's co-convenor, said: 'When most sensible people in positions of authority are thinking how they can prevent a repeat of last year's racist riots, Nigel Farage gets busy doing exactly what he did last year. 'That is stoking up tensions, implying there's been a cover-up, hoping to win votes on the back of this. Him and his are not fit to be anywhere near power.' On Monday, Mr Farage held an hour-long press conference in Westminster as part of Reform UK's 'Lawless Britain' campaign. He said there was 'rising public anger out there in the country', referring to recent protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country. He said the issue was now becoming 'very much about the safety of women and children'. "There is certainly rising public anger out there in the country," he said. "As you can see, the number of protests that are taking place outside migrant hotels, up and down the country is indeed evidence of that. "And increasingly, the migrant hotel issue has moved really from one of fairness - why on earth are people being given all these things - to very much about the safety of women and children." The MP for Clacton went on to discuss the case of two men who are accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. 'What we will today be talking about is a cover up, a cover up that, in many ways, is reminiscent of what happened after the Southport killings last year,' he said. George Finch, Reform UK's 19-year-old leader of Warwickshire County Council, has alleged the two men charged, Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, are aslylum seekers. This has been unconfirmed by the police. Mr Finch said he has been warned not to release such information as he would be in contempt of court - a strict rule which tries to ensure a trial is not unfairly influenced. The councillor said: 'Our communities are at a breaking point, and that's why we need Reform to change things. We're the last line of defence against the blob, the cover-ups of the councils, and we have to fight every step of the way against this blob, and this is what we're doing at Warwickshire County Council. "It has to stop. A 13-year-old girl had been raped by two asylum seekers, and I was told that if I release this I would be in contempt of court, that I cannot release this due to this phrase: community cohesion." Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe had earlier said: "It is essential to state that policing decisions—such as whether to release details about a suspect—must follow national guidance and legal requirements." Police have come under scrutiny over the release of information relating to high-profile crimes amid challenges in the social media age over vigilante inspectors online. Jonathan Hall KC, the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, earlier this year admitted authorities' failure to "spell out basic and sober facts" after the Southport attacks led to "contagious disinformation about a murderous Muslim asylum-seeker that stoked the ensuing riots". But questions have been raised about serving politicians such as Mr Farage allegedly riling up situations instead of trying to cool tensions. Other MPs - including Conservatives - have also been called out for misinformation related to growing tensions around migrant hotels. Tory MP Nick Timothy was forced to delete a post on X, formerly Twitter, after being told off by the Metropolitan Police for false claims made about an asylum hotel MP for West Suffolk admitted his post was "inaccurate". Earlier border security minister Dame Angela Eagle told protestors outside hotels housing asylum seekers that "anger doesn't get you anywhere". She said she hears the worries of Brits across the country but warned it wasn't easy to deport people without other countries being on board. She promised the Government was "doing the detailed work" to crack down on small boat crossings, after the Home Office unveiled its plan to pump an extra £100million into tackling people smuggling. But Dame Angela warned that protests must not be used to "have a pop at the police". Demonstrations have taken place outside hotels over recent weeks across the country, including in London, Newcastle and Epping in Essex. Police have been forced to make a series of arrests after protests turned violent. On Sunday reports emerged that dozens of young men wearing balaclavas and armed with smoke bombs tried to storm a hotel housing asylum seekers in Canary Wharf. Police said a group of demonstrators have been ordered not to return to the area for 28 days after trying to harass people staying in the hotel, as well as the hotel's staff. Asked what her message was to protesters, Dame Angela told Sky News: "Anger doesn't get you anywhere. "What we have to do is recognise the values we have in this country, the rule of law we have in this country, the work we're doing with the police to protect people. We will close asylum hotels by the end of the Parliament. We'll do it faster if we can."
