TAKING a break from giving his backing to Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, Elon Musk has turned his eyes to the UK.
First, in a surprising move this week, the billionaire called for the release of far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – known as Tommy Robinson.
The Tesla boss shared “Free Tommy Robinson!” to his over 210 million Twitter/X followers and tagged the far-right activist in a post which was then pinned to the top of his social media profile.
He then falsely claimed the former English Defence League leader (below) was in “solitary confinement prison” for “telling the truth” when, in fact, he was jailed for contempt of court because he repeated false claims against a Syrian refugee.
The businessman has since used Twitter/X – a company he also owns – to claim that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had failed to bring “rape gangs” to justice when he was director of public prosecutions.
Musk also suggested safeguarding minister Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” after she denied requests for a Home Office inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham.
Phillips had insisted that it was “for Oldham council alone” to decide whether to launch an investigation into alleged exploitation between 2011 and 2014.
A national inquiry was also concluded in 2022, and probes into Greater Manchester Police’s handling of historical child sex abuse cases in Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale have been carried out.
But that didn’t stop Musk from posting or reposting about child grooming in the UK more than 40 times over the last 24 hours. And then calling for King Charles to dissolve Parliament.
It was quite the 24 hours for Musk, and an unprecedented (so far) level of intervention in UK politics from the billionaire.
Perhaps less is more when it comes to reacting to Elon Musk
The media, The National included, face a bit of a predicament when it comes to the Twitter/X boss.
Musk isn’t just a nosy neighbour, he also happens to be the world’s richest man and a key member of incoming US president Donald Trump’s inner circle.
The words of a man with that sort of platform and power are often newsworthy – that is inescapable. But it doesn’t mean he should always be platformed or listened to. And not every angle or reaction need be explored in the search for clicks.
His profile doesn't make him a UK politics expert – far from it, in fact. It also doesn’t change the content of what he says, nor its potential impact or danger.
The media’s role should be in uplifting true expertise, not be the death of it.
Just six months ago, misinformation surrounding the Southport attack led to a series of dangerous far-right riots and hundreds of arrests and charges.
Much analysis has been devoted to the role social media played in fuelling the violence.
Many have also blamed Musk’s part, including Humza Yousaf who said the billionaire “amplified disinformation” that “undoubtedly lit the fuse for some of the race riots”.
The former first minister added in an interview last month that alarm bells ought to be ringing “right up and down” British politics about the threat he poses – including his reported plans to bankroll Reform UK.
But parties across the political spectrum also appear stumped as to how to react to the tech billionaire’s increasing political interest.
The Labour Party have oscillated between tentative condemnation and diplomacy.
For example, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told ITV News today (Friday) some of the criticisms that Elon Musk has made when it comes to grooming gangs are “misjudged and certainly misinformed”.
But he then went on to say the UK Government were willing to work with Musk who he said has a “big role to play with his social media platform” to help the UK and other countries tackle child sexual exploitation.
“So, if he wants to work with us and roll his sleeves up, we’d welcome that,” Streeting said.
Meanwhile, an anonymous Labour MP told The Guardian that Musk had “gone too far” and several ministers reportedly told the newspaper that this should be the trigger for the government to leave Twitter/X.
Although, others warned that doing so could cause a diplomatic incident given Musk’s role in the incoming Trump administration.
The UK Tory party jumped on Musk’s comments in an attempt, perhaps, to outflank Reform UK and score points against Labour.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch (above) was quick to call for a grooming gangs inquiry – despite her own party previously taking the same position as Labour on it being a local issue.
Amid the controversy, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay also decided it was the right time to suggest Scotland needs its own Elon Musk in order to cut SNP “waste” in the public sector – conveniently, perhaps, not mentioning the billions the last Tory government wasted on HS2 and Covid contracts.
It also completely sidelines the fact Elon Musk’s role as Trump’s efficiency tsar hasn’t even started – and whether it is a successful one will not be known for some time.
Even Reform UK, while quick to join calls for a grooming gang inquiry, were relatively quiet when it comes to Tommy Robinson – with Bloomberg reporting that senior politicians on the UK right have privately contacted Donald Trump’s allies on the subject in an attempt to rein the billionaire in.
But Elon Musk isn't a political pawn, he's one of the world's most powerful people and he's here to stay.
The UK media and politicians really need to think before giving him even more of a platform than he already has.
