Elon Musk shifts political allegiance away from Nigel Farage, offering PM Starmer brief respite amid challenging first six months in office.
Musk Shifts Support Away from Farage, Giving Starmer Brief Relief
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer experienced the volatile nature of pre-Trump era politics as his administration weathered criticism from Elon Musk over the weekend, before the billionaire entrepreneur unexpectedly turned against his British associate, Nigel Farage.
The world's wealthiest individual and trusted Trump advisor has consistently opposed Starmer and his progressive Labour Party since their electoral victory in July. However, Musk redirected his criticism on Sunday, declaring on X that the Reform UK chairman "lacks necessary qualities" and should be replaced.
This marked a sudden reversal from the Tesla CEO, who previously lauded Farage and declared that only Reform, a right-wing populist movement, could "rescue" Britain. The two recently convened at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, where Farage suggested potential financial backing from Musk.
The move intensified Musk's involvement in British political discourse. He has criticized Starmer's handling of the summer's UK riots, predicted that "civil conflict is unavoidable" in Britain, and recently accused the prime minister of being "involved in Britain's violation," referencing Starmer's tenure as Britain's chief prosecutor during a child abuse crisis.
His rhetoric against safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has been particularly confrontational, as she resisted Reform UK and Conservative members' demands for a government investigation into historical grooming gangs. Health Secretary Wes Streeting characterized these remarks as "an outrageous defamation" on Sunday.
"It's quite simple to hastily compose and dispatch messages, while individuals like Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips have invested real effort in imprisoning domestic abusers, sexual offenders, and child molesters. These are honorable individuals with impressive pre-political achievements," Streeting stated during a BBC Television appearance.
Britain conducted an autonomous investigation into child sexual abuse, proposing guidelines in 2022, including stricter regulations for online platforms. The investigation's chief, Professor Alexis Jay, cautioned against "politicizing" the matter, BBC reported Monday. A government representative indicated they were "moving swiftly" to implement her investigation's recommendations.
Musk provided no rationale for his changed stance on Farage, the Brexit architect, but his statement followed the Reform leader's apparent distancing from some of Musk's comments about British political figures. In a BBC broadcast Sunday, Farage acknowledged Musk's "right to his views" but stated he doesn't "support all his positions."
Musk has advocated for releasing far-right activist Tommy Robinson, legally named Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, currently imprisoned for court contempt. Farage has excluded Robinson from Reform and maintained this position after Musk challenged his party leadership.
Musk's public Robinson endorsement had already concerned senior right-wing British politicians. Several prominent Brexit supporters with Trump connections recently cautioned their Republican allies against following Musk's endorsement, considering it excessive, according to sources familiar with Conservative and Reform UK party perspectives.
Musk has also backed the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party before next month's federal elections.
For Starmer, the Musk confrontation compounds a challenging initial six months in office, marked by declining Labour poll numbers and his approval ratings falling significantly negative.
An initial choice to strengthen public finances by eliminating elderly winter fuel subsidies and subsequent tax increases have angered pensioners, agricultural workers, and enterprises. Economic expansion, which rivaled G7 leaders in early 2024, has stalled.
Monday will see Starmer address demands for delivering promised improvements by outlining government plans to achieve their goal of limiting NHS elective treatment waiting times to 18 weeks maximum by the current parliament's conclusion.
"Throughout this year, the government will increasingly communicate our actions. Not just our statements, but our concrete steps to address what is objectively the NHS's greatest historical crisis," Streeting declared Sunday.