Elon Musk has blindsided Nigel Farage, suggesting the far-right Reform UK party needs a new leader and that Farage should step aside. The unexpected move comes after Farage had spent days praising Musk as a “hero” and a figure who could make the party “look cool”, thanks to Musk’s vocal support for Reform UK and his attacks on Labour’s Keir Starmer.
“Reform UK needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes,” Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting Rupert Lowe, one of the party’s MPs, as a possible successor. Musk opined that Lowe’s statements “make a lot of sense,” despite never having met him in person.
The fracture between the two deepened after Farage refused to back Musk’s call to free Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist imprisoned for contempt of court.
“(Musk) sees Robinson as one of these people that fought against the grooming gangs. But of course, the truth is Tommy Robinson’s in prison not for that, but for contempt of court”, Farage said as Musk pushed for Robinson’s release, despite the activist’s controversial past, including charges of fraud and assault. “We’re a political party aiming to win the next general election. He’s not what we need”.
The fallout is striking, given that less than a month ago, Farage and Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy were meeting Musk behind closed doors to discuss the party’s political strategy—one of those meetings taking place at Mar-a-Lago.
Musk hasn’t held back on his criticism of Labour figures either. He accused Minister Jess Phillips of obstructing an investigation into alleged sexual abuse by Pakistani grooming gangs in towns like Oldham, and attacked Starmer for failing to bring perpetrators to justice during his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions. In a tweet, Musk even called for King Charles to dissolve Parliament and remove Starmer, advocating for fresh elections.
At the heart of the dispute is the issue of the alleged “systematic abuse” of young girls by grooming gangs, mostly of Indo-Pakistani origin, in towns like Rotherham and Bristol. Musk suggests that Labour officials ignored or downplayed these cases to avoid accusations of racism.
Wes Streeting, the opposition’s health secretary, slammed Musk’s comments as “shameful defamation,” while Starmer is expected to respond in a statement later on Monday.
