Elon Musk was merely attempting to “encourage” Nigel Farage with his criticism, the Reform UK leader has claimed, downplaying a public disagreement between the two. The row began earlier this year when Musk, an adviser to Donald Trump, suggested that Farage should be replaced as Reform’s leader, citing his lack of support for jailed far-right figure Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. This marked a shift in tone after a period of cordial exchanges between the pair, including rumours that Musk might financially support the party.
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Musk’s support appeared to shift towards former Conservative MP Rupert Lowe, now an Independent, whom the billionaire suggested could step in as Reform’s new leader. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Farage revealed he had since spoken directly with Musk about the post. “We talked about it,” Farage said. “He was just trying to encourage me in a few policy areas, ones I wasn’t prepared to go down.”
Mr Farage has remained firm in his refusal to support Robinson, whom he has previously described as “thuggish”, despite Musk’s apparent admiration for the controversial activist. Robinson is currently serving time for contempt of court, and Musk began making sympathetic comments about him in the context of debates around the grooming gang scandal. Musk’s disagreement with Farage led to his now-infamous post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “The Reform party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Despite the very public fallout, Mr Farage insists that his relationship with Musk remains intact. Speaking at a US conference in February, he labelled the billionaire a “hero” and confirmed they were still “on good terms”. Nonetheless, he stood his ground on the issue of Robinson. “He took a different view… I’ve never supported him,” Farage said. “You can’t bully me. I’ve got the principles. I stand by them. Good or bad.”
