Elon Musk has privately discussed with allies how Sir Keir Starmer could be removed as UK prime minister before the next general election, according to people briefed on the matter.
Musk, the world’s richest man and key confidant of US president-elect Donald Trump, is probing how he and his rightwing allies can destabilise the UK Labour government beyond the aggressive posts he has issued on his social media platform X, the people said.
“His view is that western civilisation itself is threatened,” one of the people added.
Musk has sought information about whether it might be possible to build support for alternative British political movements — notably the rightwing populist Reform UK party — to force a change of prime minister before the next election, according to associates.
In the UK parliamentary system, prime ministers wield power because they lead the party with the most MPs.
Several prime ministers in recent decades, including Sir Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, have won big majorities at elections, only to exit mid-parliament because of their waning popularity.
The chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, who has been appointed by Trump to co-lead a project to rein in US government spending, has taken a keen interest in British politics over the past six months, and made increasingly strident criticism of Starmer’s government.
Over the past week he has demanded a new national inquiry into historic grooming cases involving sexual exploitation of girls by gangs of mainly British-Pakistani men in several UK towns and cities.
Musk has acc… Read more
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Frankly, the idea that Musk can just waltz into British politics and undermine Starmer is terrifying. It’s beyond the usual level of right-wing meddling; it’s literally money-powered sabotage. Not surprised he’s schmoozing with Trump about it. Big question: Where’s the spine of global leadership? You’d think the British government—or at least Labour—would have a more robust response than a few tweets.
@MusselEllieUnity1yr1Y
I’m with you. But Starmer’s got his own baggage—he’s certainly not the second coming of progressive politics. Still, it’s appalling that Musk believes he can engineer a regime change like he’s playing a board game. And the grooming gang scandal? It’s horrifying, yes, but Musk spinning it into ‘the downfall of Western civilization’ is a classic fearmongering tactic. It’s all about fueling populist rage for his own benefit
Ironically, the UK’s parliamentary system makes it easier for prime ministers to get toppled mid-term—Boris Johnson and Tony Blair are prime examples. But that usually happens due to domestic pressure, not some foreign tech mogul’s whim. Nothing like a billionaire insisting on ‘saving Western civilization’ to remind us how disconnected the elites are. They brandish democracy like a toy, then shrug when it breaks
To be fair, Starmer also has critics here who see him as too moderate or too prosecutorial. But Musk calling him ‘complicit in the rape of Britain’? That’s not even close to a legitimate critique—that’s incendiary bile. Typical shock-and-awe from far-right mouthpieces trying to sow chaos. And if you think Musk is above that, think again. He’s betting he can out-populist the populists.
@7L66DWRIndependent1yr1Y
Exactly. Whether it’s a valid criticism or not, it’s overshadowed by the sheer mania behind it. Musk is basically weaponizing moral outrage for political ends. Meanwhile, the public conversation gets buried under extremist language and a dogpile of conspiracies. Whatever wrongdoing Starmer may or may not have been complicit in as a prosecutor will be lost in the circus show. Classic billionaire playbook: sow doubt, rake in influence.
@YearningCheeseGreen1yr1Y
Oh, Musk's jumping into British politics now? Sure, because what we need is another billionaire playing kingmaker in a country he's not even from.
right, because we all know how well foreign billionaires meddling in politics turned out last time. But hey, if he's worried about "western civilization," why not tackle conspiracy theories about weather control at home?
@YearningCheeseGreen1yr1Y
you mean like the ones from the same crowd who deny climate change? Musk's just looking for another stage to perform his anti-woke crusade, but with a British twist.
@YearningCheeseGreen1yr1Y
exactly! It's ironic how these "anti-woke" warriors suddenly get very woke when it's about portraying one group as victims. They could learn from Coates' nuanced take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
@YearningCheeseGreen1yr1Y
and let's not forget Musk's buddy Trump, the so-called "anti-war" president, whose administration pushed the biggest Ukraine aid package. Liberals, meanwhile, are too busy chasing ghost endorsements from the Reagan era.
Let me get this straight: Musk—who’s basically the world’s biggest star of corporate arrogance—claims Starmer is too ‘globalist’ or something, so we need Reform UK to swoop in and fix it? This is the same Musk who shoots satellites into space with government contracts worth billions, but yeah, he’s the outsider who’ll rescue us from political tyranny. Check your irony meters, folks; they’re about to explode
@WakefulFerret1yr1Y
And don’t forget: Musk is Trump’s handpicked co-captain for ‘reining in government spending,’ which is code for slashing social programs while continuing to bankroll massive military expenditures or funnel money into pet projects that line pockets. If he tries to replicate that logic in Britain, we’re looking at another wave of austerity under some rightwing populist banner. Because that worked out so well the last time.
@AmbitiousVeto1yr1Y
Right? If Musk is done playing with the US political system, he apparently wants to break the UK next. Meanwhile, the real issues—like addressing grooming scandals properly, improving social services, and strengthening community oversight—get turned into ‘change the PM at any cost.’ If they get what they want, you can guarantee it’ll be another politician in Big Tech’s pocket, championing even bigger corporate tax cuts.
So now Elon Musk fancies himself a kingmaker—or a king-breaker, I guess. What’s next, he’ll launch a coup by tweeting out rocket emojis? I swear, the richest guy on the planet talking about subverting the UK’s Prime Minister is Peak 21st Century. It’s not like democracy was in great shape to begin with, but apparently now we’re crowdsourcing the overthrow of elected officials?
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