Elon Musk now opposes Nigel Farage, following seemingly friendly talks with the Reform UK leader at Mar-a-Lago. After those discussions, the Reform Party released this statement:

“We learned a great deal about the Trump ground game and will have ongoing discussions on other areas,” it added. “We only have one more chance left to save the west and we can do great things together. Our thanks also to President Trump for allowing us to use Mar-a-Lago for this historic meeting. The special relationship is alive and well.”

But then in a blow to Farage, Musk has now called for him to be replaced.

“Elon Musk turns on Nigel Farage and calls for new leader of Reform,”by Peter Walker, Guardian, January 5, 2024:

Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as Reform UK leader hours after Farage described the billionaire businessman as “a hero”, in what is likely to be a preview of how a chaotic Donald Trump presidency could affect British politics.

Farage, who is also the de facto owner of Reform, “doesn’t have what it takes”, Musk said on X, the social media platform he owns, less than three weeks after the pair held seemingly warm talks at Trump’s Florida home. “The Reform party needs a new leader,” he wrote.

Musk, 53, who has sent a mass of largely misleading posts in recent days about a series of aspects of UK politics, appeared to endorse Rupert Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP, as a possible replacement, saying statements he had read from Lowe “make a lot of sense”.

Later, Lowe backed Farage, posting on X: “Nigel is leader of Reform. He made Brexit happen, and for that I will always be grateful….

Farage himself connected Musk’s turning on him to Tommy Robinson:

Farage, 60, indicated Musk’s statement could be connected to a disagreement about Tommy Robinson, the jailed far-right anti-Islam agitator whom Musk has characterised as a political prisoner, but whom Farage condemns.

“Well, this is a surprise!” Farage wrote on X after Musk’s tweet. “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.”

Farage has distanced himself from Robinson, saying:

“I never wanted Tommy Robinson to join UKIP ….I don’t want him to join Reform UK; and he won’t be.”

Farage also claimed that Tommy Robinson is not a political prisoner:

Mr 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….We’re a political party aiming to win the next general election. He’s not what we need.”

It does appear that Musk may have soured on Farage due to the latter’s views on Robinson, at least in part, given the strength of Musk’s support for Robinson:

But leadership material involves more than a single issue. It involves resilience and know-how on multiple issues including economics, national security, the rule of law, and protection of Western interests and freedoms. There is also another possible and related reason for Musk’s deciding that Farage was lacking, which carries deeper implications than Farage’s lack of support for Tommy Robinson:

This view isn’t unique to Farage. Far too many politicians of every political stripe feel that they must prove to their countries and to the world that they are not “Islamophobic.” Yet it isn’t possible to prove such a thing to the collective Muslim world unless you ultimately are willing to give up all speech deemed offensive to Islam, in accordance with Islamic blasphemy laws, as well as to turn against Israel in favor of the “resistance” from the River to the Sea, and allow pro-Hamas thugs to “globalize the intifada.” Islam is about Sharia expansion, conquest, and dhimmitude, and the Muslim vote is dependent on it. The more you surrender, the more you will be expected to surrender. It is only necessary that Westerners stand firmly and without apology against any doctrine equally that threatens Western values and freedoms. For all his talk about not alienating Muslims, Farage’s own immigration policies and his latest defence of Musk for the latter’s attack on the UK government’s response to Muslim rape gangs will ultimately cause Farage to alienate Muslim groups.

More will likely come to light about Musk’s statement against Farage, but in the meantime, Reform MPs are now reportedly rallying behind Farage.

AUTHOR

Christine Douglass-Williams