Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as leader of Britain’s Reform, hours after Farage described the billionaire businessman as a “hero”, a move that echoed the confusion of Donald Trump.・This is likely to be a preview of how President Trump’s term in office may affect British politics.
Mr. Farage, who is also the de facto owner of the reform group, “doesn’t have what it takes,” Mr. Musk said, less than three weeks after the two had a seemingly warm meeting at Mr. Trump’s Florida home. on his social media platform X. “The Reform Party needs new leadership,” he wrote.
Mr Musk, 53, has sent out a slew of grossly misleading posts about various aspects of British politics in recent days, but appears to be backing Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe as his possible successor. “That’s very sensible,” read Lowe’s statement.
Mr Lowe then backed Mr Farage, posting on X: “Nigel is a leader of change. He made Brexit happen and I will always be grateful for that.
“I look forward to working with Nigel and the whole team to continue to hold this incompetent Labor party to account, democratize our party and win the next election to form a reformed government. ”
Mr Musk’s sudden change of heart is extremely embarrassing to Mr Farage. Mr Farage had just spent much of a TV interview on Sunday refusing to accuse Mr Musk of inflammatory comments about him, including calling Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips “rape-genocide apologists”. It was. .
Mr Farage, 60, said Mr Musk’s comments were related to a disagreement over the imprisoned far-right anti-Islam agitator Tommy Robinson, whom Mr Farage has criticized, although Mr Musk is considered a political prisoner. suggested that it may be possible.
“Wow, this is a surprise!” Farage wrote to X after Musk’s tweet. “Elon is a great guy, but unfortunately I don’t agree with him on this. My view is that Tommy Robinson is not a good fit for reform, and I will never sell my principles.”
The apparent split frees Mr Farage from having to defend the increasingly prolific, free-spirited and far-right views of Mr Musk, while the world’s richest man has been given up to $100 million ($100 million) to pay for reforms. There was significant speculation that he might donate as much as £80m, but that number now appears to have been reduced. probably.
More broadly, the incident has left Mr Farage and other British politicians with no doubt that Mr Trump or his ever-changing circle of advisers and cronies, especially Mr Musk, a mercurial figure who appears to have little understanding of British politics. ) is a reminder that you are trying to gain the support of That’s dangerous.
Mr Musk’s embrace of Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, comes as he has expressed concern about gang grooming incidents in some British towns and cities, and the This coincided with Mr Phillips’ decision to inform Mr Robinson of Oldham City Council, which is one of them, that he had done so. We do not believe there is a need for a second national inquiry into the lessons learned from this scandal.
Mr Musk said Mr Starmer was “complicit in the rape of Britain”, echoing his comments about security secretary Mr Phillips. In another angry tweet on Sunday, Mr Musk again praised Mr Robinson and promoted a discredited conspiracy theory that Mr Starmer failed to take action against prolific sex offender Jimmy Savile when he was Director of Public Prosecutions. did.
Musk has also recently endorsed far-right groups in other countries, pledging support for Germany’s Alternative for Germany in next month’s federal election.
Asked about the incident in an interview with German weekly magazine Stern, Germany’s Prime Minister Olaf Scholz said: “We must not feed the trolls,” adding: “We must remain calm.”
Before Mr Musk disowned him, Mr Farage refused to condemn his comments about Mr Starmer and Mr Phillips. “I don’t agree with everything he stands for,” Farage told BBC One’s Sunday program Laura Kuenssberg. “But I believe in free speech. I think he’s a hero.”
He added: “Freedom of speech is back. Well, it may make you uncomfortable, but that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.”
Mr Farage described Mr Musk’s language as “very harsh words”, but said he believed it was only unacceptable if it was seen as inciting violence. “Sometimes harsh things are said in public,” he said. “The left has been taking these kinds of jabs at the right for decades and will continue to do so.”
Mr Farage also believed Mr Musk was justified in claiming he was complicit in the failure to swiftly prosecute gangs that targeted vulnerable young girls in a range of British towns and cities. He also said that there are.
“He specifically mentions that Keir Starmer had just been appointed Director of Public Prosecutions in 2008 and a case was brought against him for the alleged gang rape of a girl that was never prosecuted,” Farage said. said. .
“Like you, I don’t know the pros and cons, but if you believe in free speech, people are allowed to have an opinion.”
Speaking afterwards to the BBC, Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned Mr Musk’s comments about Mr Phillips.
“This is a shameful slander against a great woman who has dedicated her life to supporting victims of the kind of violence that Elon Musk and others claim to be against.”
Mr Street blamed what he called “armchair critics on social media” and said Starmer and others “have actually done the difficult work of locking up wife beaters, rapists and pedophiles”. Contrasted with people like Phillips.
