Nigel Farage has accused Labour of sinking to "gutter politics" after Jess Phillips redeployed last week's jibe about the Reform UK leader being "on the same side" as Jimmy Savile.
The Clacton MP, who vowed to repeal the Online Safety Act, was involved in a bitter spat with Peter Kyle after the Technology Secretary alleged that Farage's opposition to the legislation would have emboldened one of Britain's most prolific paedophiles if he was inflicting his sick crimes today.
Speaking in Westminster, Farage dismissed comments made by Kyle and Phillips.
He said: "For all the Government's talk about protecting children, which they claim is the sole purpose of the Online Safety Act, our criticisms of that and the impositions on free speech that it has imposed, just in its first week of operation, have led to them sinking to the depths, I would suggest that comparisons that somehow we're siding with Jimmy Savile were wholly inappropriate in every way."
Farage added: "Why on Earth are we seeing the extent to which online material is being censored, including even historical comments about Richard III?
"This is the beginning of state censorship. It is very worrying, very frightening."
The row returned to the fore this morning after Home Office Minister Jess Phillips yet again used the Savile jibe against Farage.
Writing for The Times, Phillips wrote: "If you’ve been living under a rock, you may have missed last week’s row about Nigel Farage and the Online Safety Act.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage
|PA
"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.
"And Zia Yusuf of the Reform Party said that was one of the most disgusting things a politician had ever said. Perhaps he’s been living under a rock too."
However, a Reform UK source pointed out how Labour rejected calls for a national grooming gangs inquiry until Baroness Casey released her damning report into the scandal.
Jess Phillips | PA“Once again we see Labour desperately embarrass themselves with idiotic statements that will never pass the smell test," the insider said.
"This is the Government who refused time and time again to order a national inquiry into the grooming gangs and have had to suspend the whip from an MP for allegations of the most horrific crimes against children.”
Criticisms had been laid directly at Phillips's door after GB News revealed in January that the Safeguarding Minister rejected Oldham's call for a national rape gangs inquiry.
Phillips came under-fire yet again just a few months later after being forced to issue a grovelling apology for delaying of the publication of a report into the grooming gangs scandal.
Keir Starmer | GETTY Phillips said: “I do apologise for the month’s wait. I waited 14 years for anyone to do anything.
"Baroness Casey has requested a short extension to her work from the Home Secretary and the Home Secretary has informed the Home Affairs Scrutiny Committee of this and we expect it very shortly.
"And when we have the report, the Government will respond to it and lay out its plans with all the evidence in hand."
However, the spat around Savile has also opened up a new attack line from Reform UK.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage | GETTYFollowing last week's Savile spat, Farage initially demanded an apology from Kyle before taking aim.
However, Farage later turned his fury towards Sir Keir Starmer.
The Reform UK leader echoed ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson by lashing out at Starmer's record as head of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Farage said: "People in glass houses – perhaps you should remember that his own leader, Keir Starmer, had to apologise for not prosecuting Jimmy Savile."
The Prime Minister, who rejected Johnson's jibe as a "ridiculous slur", was apologising on behalf of the CPS rather than in any personal capacity.