Throughout the week, Elon Musk shared a series of Twitter posts, both his own and retweets of others, which attacked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and addressed current events taking place within the United Kingdom. According to ABC News, the tech billionaire lambasted the government’s decision to reject a public inquiry into a child grooming scandal in North England. He directly accused Starmer of being “complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN” during his tenure as director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. “Starmer must go and he must face charges for his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain,” he wrote.
Musk’s remarks quickly sparked a strong response from U.K. leaders. On Friday (Jan. 3), Wes Streeting, secretary of state for Health and Social Care, called them “misjudged and certainly misinformed.” Streeting emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing child sexual exploitation and suggested Musk could contribute constructively. “If he wants to work with us and roll his sleeves up, we’d welcome that,” he stated to ITV News. In an interview with LBC Radio, Labour Member of Parliment Andrew Gwynne expressed that Musk “is an American citizen and perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic.”
Musk’s engagement in British politics escalated since the Labour Party returned to power. ABC further revealed how the Department of Government Efficiency co-lead frequently criticized Starmer and shared posts accusing the government of “two-tier policing.” The Tesla CEO expressed support for far-right figure Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known to the public as English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson. The controversial figure is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court. Musk also signaled his intention to donate £100 million ($124 million) to Reform UK, a right-wing party led by Nigel Farage.
In 2024, during widespread anti-immigrant violence in the U.K., Musk faced backlash for tweeting that a “civil war is inevitable.” As reported by The Associated Press, this comment drew criticism from the prime minister’s office and sparked concerns about his influence on public discourse.