Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk called for fresh UK elections in the latest sign of how Donald Trump’s incoming US administration could be a thorn in the side of Keir Starmer’s government.
Musk, a close and outspoken adviser to Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, made a string of posts overnight on the X platform that he owns criticizing UK policy. He questioned Starmer’s record as Britain’s Director of Public Prosecutions before entering politics, called for the release from prison of the far-right agitator Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and said that “only” Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party can “save” Britain.
Responding to one post about a new poll showing a collapse in support for Starmer’s Labour government — which swept to power in a landslide in the country’s July 4 general election — Musk called for a fresh vote. The premier, who has a huge parliamentary majority, doesn’t need to call one for another 4 1/2 years.
Musk’s volley of social media posts are the latest in a series of attacks he’s made on the British government. With Trump giving Musk a key domestic role in his incoming administration leading a department to improve government efficiency, the billionaire’s repeated attacks on a key US ally threaten to muddy the so-called special relationship between the UK and US.
It’s not just Starmer who’s been in Musk’s sights: he’s also repeatedly criticized the left-leaning German government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, backing the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany ahead of a snap election called for February.
The British premier has repeatedly said the relationship between the two countries is bigger than the individuals leading them. Trump hosted Starmer for a two-hour meal at his building in New York in September — before securing his second presidential term — telling reporters beforehand that he thought Starmer was “very nice.” However his legal team then used a filing with the Federal Election Commission to accuse Labour of “blatant foreign interference” and illegal foreign campaign contributions to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Musk’s antagonism began over the summer with criticisms over how Starmer handled a wave of riots fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment after the murder of three girls was wrongly blamed online on an asylum seeker. He’s repeatedly clashed with the government over free speech and economic growth, as well as expressing support for both Farage and Robinson.
Robinson was jailed late last year after admitting to contempt of court over repeating false accusations against a Syrian refugee. Several of Musk’s posts and reposts overnight called for his release including one pinned to the top of his feed and another saying the US should exert “economic and diplomatic pressure to force the issue” that Musk replied to with a “100” endorsement.
Musk’s posts came even as his company was dealing with the aftermath of an explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas. The billionaire also made repeated posts about that incident, saying “the whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now” and later posting that the explosion was “unrelated to the vehicle itself” and was caused by “very large fireworks and/or a bomb.”
Starmer and his government have so far brushed off Musk’s attacks and downplayed the threat posed by Reform. Starmer has a large parliamentary majority and there is currently no prospect of him losing a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons, which would be necessary to trigger fresh elections earlier than he wants. Britain’s next general election is due in 2029.
Starmer spoke with Trump via phone last month, as the British premier tries to solidify the UK-US relationship despite their different political priorities and backgrounds. The pair discussed ongoing support for Ukraine — which has been put into doubt by the incoming Trump presidency — and securing peace in the Middle East.
