Tech billionaire Elon Musk has voiced his strong disapproval following the interim suspension of Marlon West, a candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, from working in the National Health Service (NHS). The suspension by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is reportedly due to "offensive" social media posts made by West concerning grooming gangs.
Marlon West, 52, a former advanced nurse practitioner with 30 years of NHS experience, is running as the hard-Right Restore Britain candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester. His campaign has focused on advocating for a national inquiry into organized child sex abuse, stemming from his daughter Scarlett's experience of being trafficked and abused from the age of 14.
The NMC imposed an interim suspension on West last week. Reports suggest the suspension relates to social media posts, including one in a private Facebook group where West allegedly wrote, "This is what Pakistanis do! After being raped and tortured! My daughter you sicko," referring to injuries his daughter sustained. Another post reportedly cited was, "Ban Afghans from entering the UK."
Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe condemned West's suspension as "scandalous" and suggested its timing, shortly before the by-election, "creates the unmistakable appearance of political interference." Musk shared Lowe's letter with his 241 million followers, adding the comment, "It could have been your daughter." Musk has previously expressed anger regarding grooming gangs in Britain.
The NMC, however, stated that it does not take action solely because a professional's words have caused offense. The council indicated that action is only taken when the manner of expression "fundamentally calls into question their conduct or performance." The NMC also asserted that the "timing of any interim order" is "driven solely by our regulatory process."
West has stated he never received a complaint about his clinical practice during his NHS career. He has pledged that if elected, he will push for public services to improve their protection of young people, criticizing the previous mayor for the handling of child abuse cases during his tenure.
West expressed shock at his suspension, calling it "political interference" so close to the election but vowed not to be silenced. Lowe echoed concerns about the "suspicious" timing, calling the suspension "shocking" and "questionable." He highlighted West's personal experience with grooming gangs and his daughter's abuse, stating West's comments about "Pakistani men taking part in industrial rape" were "objectively factual" and his call to end Afghan immigration was a "reasonable political opinion."
West's daughter, Scarlett, who now campaigns with her father to educate girls about grooming gangs, expressed her anger on X, calling the situation "absolutely disgusting."
The mayoral election is scheduled for July 30, with Labour's Bev Craig projected to win. The notes indicate that the Labour party has faced criticism regarding its handling of the grooming gangs issue, with Sir Keir Starmer initially resisting calls for a national inquiry. A £65 million inquiry is currently investigating the operation of grooming gangs and the responses of public institutions.