‘I disagree’ - Nigel Farage hits back after Elon Musk called for him to be removed as Reform leader

5 January 2025, 16:29 | Updated: 6 January 2025, 08:49

Nigel Farage has hit back at Elon Musk, after the tech billionaire said he "doesn't have what it takes" to lead Reform UK.

Farage has hit back at Musk after the X owner said the Reform leader should be replaced. Musk did not explain his reasoning.

Farage suggested this was due to a disagreement over Musk's support for far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Farage distanced himself from Elon Musk’s stance on jailed far-right figure and convicted fraudster Tommy Robinson, after the tech billionaire called for him to be released from prison.

"The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes." Musk said in a shock X post.

Nigel Farage reacted, also on X, saying: "Well, this is a surprise!"

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"Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree," the Reform leader continued.

"My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles."

Musk, the billionaire ally of Donald Trump who is considering donating around £100 million to Mr Farage’s Reform UK party, pinned a message at the top of his X feed which read “Free Tommy Robinson!” earlier this week.

Until now, it seemed Musk and Farage had a strong relationship, with the Reform boss even visiting the billionaire in the United States.

The Reform UK leader said at a conference in Leicester on Friday that Musk had "a whole range of opinions, some of which I agree with very strongly, and others of which I am more reticent about".

Mr Farage may have been keen to put a driving wedge between himself and Robinson, but he still expressed his admiration for Musk, calling him a "remarkable new entrant" into American politics who is "very helpful" for Reform.

Mr Farage said that the X CEO is a "hero" for buying the social media platform, adding that "at least with Elon, we've got free speech back."

"Whether we like everything he says or not, he is a hero," Mr Farage added.

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He continued: "Everyone says, well, what about his comments on Tommy Robinson? Look, my position is perfectly clear on that. I never wanted Tommy Robinson to join UKIP, I don't want him to join Reform UK, and he won't be."

Musk’s controversial post about Tommy Robinson and his indication he will donate to Reform are not his only interventions in British politics that have sparked backlash in recent weeks.

The world’s richest man posted several times about grooming gangs in Rochdale and Oldham, attacking prime minister Keir Starmer and the Labour MP and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips over their responses to the scandal.

The US billionaire wrote in one post that Ms Phillips even "deserves to be in prison" over her failure to launch an inquiry, arguing that "rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice".