Sir Keir Starmer has accused Elon Musk of “interfering in our politics” and attempting to create division, as the prime minister toughened government language against the X owner. The comments follow weeks of posts by Musk on his social media platform about the murder of Henry Nowak, many of which have used far-right themes.
Speaking in West Yorkshire, Starmer said Britain needed to “assert who we are” as “reasonable, tolerant people”. He praised Labour MP Jess Asato, who is taking legal action against Musk’s xAI company after its Grok tool helped produce fake sexualised images of her. “I am 100% behind the action that she has taken,” Starmer said.
The prime minister met Nowak’s family at Downing Street on Thursday to discuss the response of Hampshire police, who arrested the 18-year-old student as he lay dying from stab wounds. Starmer said he had been “profoundly humbled” and promised to right the wrongs. The Hampshire Police Federation suspended its social media platforms after “serious threats” against its members, with misidentified officers forced to leave their homes.
Starmer’s spokesperson did not specify particular posts but was concerned about the overall tone of Musk’s content, especially regarding the Nowak case. Musk has argued the case shows the UK is biased against white people. The spokesperson said misinformation was a matter for Ofcom, and the government had no plans to stop posting on X.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, also met Nowak’s family on Thursday, writing that they “do not want anger to tear communities apart”.
