In an astonishing turn of events, billionaire Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to resign as leader of Britain's right-wing Reform UK party. This dramatic withdrawal of support from one of Farage’s most high-profile allies has sent shockwaves through the political world.
Musk, who just last month posed for a smiling photo with Farage, now appears to have abruptly shifted gears. On Sunday (Jan 5), the Tesla tycoon stunned observers by publicly suggesting that Farage is no longer the right man to lead the party.
This jaw-dropping move comes after Reform UK gained significant traction in July’s national election, securing 4.1 million votes (14% of the total) and five seats in parliament. Speculation had been rife that Musk might make a substantial financial donation to Reform, bolstering its efforts to challenge the political dominance of the Labour and Conservative parties.
But the alliance between Musk and Farage now seems to be unraveling, with Farage distancing himself from Musk’s controversial support of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon—better known as Tommy Robinson, a British activist jailed for contempt of court. Robinson’s hardline anti-immigration and anti-Muslim views have sparked fierce debate, and Farage was quick to draw a line.
In a sharp rebuttal to Musk’s bombshell statement, Farage declared, "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."
The shock doesn’t end there. Musk’s political maneuvers have raised eyebrows before, with the billionaire recently endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, notorious for its anti-immigration and anti-Islam stance. German security services have even labeled the AfD as right-wing extremist.
Adding fuel to the fire, Musk has openly criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of mishandling investigations into sensitive criminal cases. Just last week, Musk demanded a national inquiry into alleged failures to prosecute cases involving the sexual abuse of underage girls by men of Pakistani heritage during Starmer’s tenure as head of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Health minister Wes Streeting hit back at Musk’s accusations, defending Starmer and fellow cabinet member Jess Phillips. "It’s all very easy to fire off comments from a distance, but Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips have done the hard work of locking up dangerous criminals," Streeting told the BBC.
With alliances crumbling and tensions soaring, Musk’s dramatic intervention has left the future of Reform UK—and Farage’s leadership—hanging in the balance. Where will this political rollercoaster go next? The stakes have never been higher.