Nigel Farage has enjoyed soaring poll ratings and what appeared to be trans-Altlantic political bromance with Elon Musk – but now his billionaire friend as seemingly questioned if he is the right man to lead Reform UK.
Just a few weeks ago Mr Farage and SpaceX founder Mr Musk were pictured beaming next to one another after a meeting at President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate in the US.
A statement at the time from Reform described the “great meeting” as a “chance to save the West”, and it was followed by the suggestion Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, could donate as much as £79 million to the British political party.
But in a bombshell post on the X social media platform he owns, Mr Musk said on January 5: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
Mr Farage had defended the tech tycoon’s attacks on the UK Government over its handling of grooming gangs in a series of posts on X, although he had distanced himself from Mr Musk’s support for jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson, saying he was “not what we need”.
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Mr Farage posted on X in response: “Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree.
“My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.”
After his volte-face post about Mr Farage, Mr Musk then appeared to endorse Rupert Lowe, one of the Reform UK’s five MPs, as a replacement.
“I have not met Rupert Lowe, but his statements online that I have read so far make a lot of sense,” Mr Musk wrote in response to a post asking whether the Great Yarmouth MP and former Southampton FC chairman should take over the top job.
The Prime Minister is expected to face questions today (Monday) about Mr Musk’s attacks on his Government over past grooming gang cases as campaigners call for Labour to set up a child protection authority.
Sir Keir Starmer has so far not spoken to defend his record since the slew of online posts from the tech billionaire, who is a key member of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle.
As he returns from Parliament’s Christmas recess, the Prime Minister is likely to face questions over Mr Musk’s tweets and calls from other parties to launch a new inquiry into child sexual exploitation.
The chairwoman of a previous inquiry that uncovered wide-ranging failings in how institutions protected children said she was not seeking a new probe, but for the Government to take the steps recommended in her final report more than two years ago.
