Elon Musk “needs to be held to account” for his comments about the UK, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said, after being confronted with the billionaire’s description of him as a “snivelling cretin”.
Sir Ed speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, described the owner of X as an “over-powerful billionaire US tech magnate”.
In a poll posted last month on X, the social media platform owned by Mr Musk, the businessman asked whether “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government”.
Sir Ed subsequently called for the US ambassador to be summoned “to ask why an incoming US official is suggesting the UK government should be overthrown” and said Mr Musk “clearly knows nothing about Britain.”
The Tesla chief executive, who was selected by US President Donald Trump to lead the US Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), responded in a post on X by posting: “What exactly do I fail to understand about your failure to stop the mass rape of little girls in Britain, you sniveling cretin?”
Asked about his reaction to Mr Musk’s insult, Sir Ed said: “I’ve been in politics long enough to know that there are insults made, and I’m sometimes not always complimentary about people like Elon Musk.
“However, the real issue of substance is that Elon Musk said that the British government, elected by the British people just a few months ago, should be overthrown.
“That’s what he said, and he’s now in the administration in America, he’s sort of camped out in Trump’s Oval Office, and I think that’s a real matter of concern.”
Mr Musk has frequently used the social media platform he owns to attack Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and offer support for jailed British political activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The tech entrepreneur has also used X to attack safeguarding minister Jess Phillips over the issue of historical grooming gangs in the UK.
Sir Ed said on Sunday: “Britain, through our ambassadors, through our government relations, need to call him out.
“I repeat, I think Elon Musk needs to be held to account.”
The Liberal Democrat leader has called for greater regulation of social media algorithms, pointing to the impact of posts on Mr Musk’s platform X on the disorder seen in parts of the UK last summer.
