Elon Musk has been using his social media platform X to launch a series of attacks on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with some users comparing his comments to those of a 'pub bore'. The world's richest man has been posting about grooming gangs, the justice system, and political figures, while hinting at a potential donation to Reform UK.
On New Year's Eve, Musk promoted a post about the 'Pakistani-ancestry grooming gangs', sharing a screenshot from a 2013 court case. He called for government officials and judiciary members to be 'fired in shame'. He also retweeted an old video of Tommy Robinson, a convicted fraudster serving time for contempt of court, questioning why Robinson received a harsh sentence while rapists got suspended sentences.
Musk then targeted safeguarding minister Jess Phillips for rejecting a public inquiry request from Oldham council regarding another grooming scandal. He accused Starmer, without evidence, of being part of a cover-up. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch waded in, calling for an inquiry, though it emerged the previous Tory government had also rejected such calls.
Musk has promoted tweets from Reform MP Rupert Lowe and Tory immigration hardliner Robert Jenrick. Reform leader Nigel Farage has indicated Musk is considering a sizeable donation to his party, though Badenoch has expressed doubt. Starmer has remained silent on Musk's invective, but health secretary Wes Streeting described the comments as 'misjudged and misinformed'. Downing Street responded to Musk's claims about business investment in the UK, stating that investment in the third quarter was strong.
