Labour's 'disturbing' Jimmy Savile jibe at Nigel Farage is 'political point scoring', victims' lawyer warns

Farage’s opposition to the controversial piece of legislation centres around angst about free speech being infringed upon, including in debates about migration.

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In a letter to The Times, Collins appeared to urge Labour against dragging Savile’s victims through their political debate with the Reform UK leader.

He said: “Savile was an opportunist who took advantage of the myriad opportunities afforded him by the BBC and the NHS (among others) to sexually abuse children and young people.

"I doubt that any online legislation would interfere with the criminal activities of a latter-day Savile.

“The Safeguarding Minister, Jess Phillips, should know that, and it is disturbing that she and her colleagues in Parliament should see fit to play the Savile name to try to score points over political opponents.”

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle ignited the Savile row after last week declaring Farage was "on the side" of one of Britain's most prolific paedophiles.

He said: “I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he’s going to overturn these laws.

"So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side.

“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.”

Farage had initially demanded an apology from Kyle and later pointed out that Sir Keir Starmer was head of the Crown Prosecution Service when allegations had been made about Savile.

While Reform's former chairman Zia Yusuf labelled Kyle's comments as “one of the most disgusting things a politician had ever said”, other leading Labour MPs echoed the remarks.

Phillips, who received a backlash due to her initial opposition to holding a national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal, argued that the legislation existed to stop “modern-day Jimmy Saviles” like Alexander McCartney.

The Safeguarding Minister said that the “latest networks of paedophiles the police have uncovered” were “on normal websites where their parents assume they’re safe”.

She added: “I defy Nigel Farage to tell me what any of that has to do with free speech.”

Social media platforms, left-wing commentators and right-wing MPs have all come out to voice opposition to the Online Safety Act.

Many warn it will stifle debate about contentious political discussions, including Israel's war in Gaza and illegal migration.

Earlier this week, Farage fired a broadside shot back at Labour MPs who have been deploying the Savile jibe.

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."

However, a Government spokesman said: “Grooming almost always contains an online element — the world has changed and we must be guided by the evidence which is why we are committed to online laws to keep children safe.

“The needs of victims are always first and foremost in our minds as we point out the dangers that could flow from repealing those protections.”