Elon Musk takes U-turn on Nigel Farage: 'Doesn't have what...'
What's the story
Tech mogul Elon Musk has openly rescinded his support for Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain's Reform UK party.
In a post on his social media platform X, Musk said, "The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn't have what it takes."
The statement follows a disagreement between the two over Tommy Robinson, a British extremist serving an 18-month sentence for contempt of court in a libel case involving a Syrian refugee.
Political rift
Disagreement over Tommy Robinson sparks controversy
The feud between Musk and Farage was ignited by Robinson's imprisonment.
Musk had earlier questioned why Robinson was in solitary confinement and implied he was imprisoned "for telling the truth" about grooming scandals in the UK.
To this, Farage disagreed with Musk's position on Robinson, saying he is not right for Reform UK and stressing that he never compromises his principles.
Party funding
Farage's response to Musk's withdrawal of support
Despite their disagreement, Farage called Musk a "remarkable individual."
Before this incident, Farage had been speaking about a possible donation from Musk to Reform UK.
The party, which split the right-wing vote to win 4.1 million votes and five seats in the July national election, had hoped to take on Labour and Conservative parties with this funding.
Endorsement backlash
Musk's endorsement of Robinson stirs controversy
Musk's endorsement of Robinson has sparked controversy as the latter is a notorious anti-Muslim activist with several criminal convictions.
The tech mogul also slammed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and child welfare minister Jess Phillips over their handling of grooming gang cases.
He demanded a national inquiry into these cases, where men of Pakistani heritage abused underage girls.
Official defense
UK health minister defends Starmer and Phillips
Responding to Musk's jibes, UK health minister Wes Streeting came to the defense of Starmer and Phillips.
Streeting emphasized their work in prosecuting offenders and noted how easy it is to make rash comments online than the hard work done by officials like Starmer and Phillips to tackle such crimes.
This is not the first time Musk has meddled in politics. He had endorsed Germany's Alternative for Germany party, which is infamous for its anti-immigration stance.