Nigel Farage has insisted he can rebuild his relationship with Elon Musk after the billionaire called for him to be replaced as Reform UK’s leader.
The Tesla and SpaceX owner, whom met Mr Farage in December and had been rumoured to be considering making a large donation to Reform, appeared to turn on the party leader over the weekend, tweeting that he “doesn’t have what it takes”.
The split followed Mr Farage’s continuing rejection of calls to support jailed, far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, whom Mr Musk has previously tweeted in favour of.
Speaking during a phone-in on LBC on Tuesday, Mr Farage said that although Mr Musk’s support was not “crucial”, he thought Reform would be weaker without it.
Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as the leader of Reform UK (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)
He said: “Not having Elon’s support would damage us with that younger generation because he kind of makes us look cool, so I’m being frank about that, and I am confident that whatever has been said, we can mend. I really think we can.”
But, he added, it would have been more damaging for him to have heeded calls to “embrace” Robinson, a reversal of a long-standing policy of distancing his parties from “violent, thuggish people” and organisations such as the British National Party.
Mr Farage said he would travel to America for “four or five days” later this month to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president, during which time he hoped to meet Mr Musk and repair their relationship.
He added: “Of course I want his support; of course I will talk to him in America in a few days’ time; of course I want to mend any broken fences that might exist. I’m sure we can do it.”
During the same phone-in, Mr Farage also declined to criticise Mr Musk over his description of Home Office minister Jess Phillips as a “rape genocide apologist” after she declined a request from Oldham Council for a Whitehall-led inquiry into child sexual abuse in the town.
Ms Phillips had said the Government’s preference was for a locally-led inquiry, in line with the previous government’s decision on a similar request from Telford Council.
On Monday, in a reference to Mr Musk’s tweet, the Prime Minister said “a line has been crossed” and Ms Phillips and others had received threats as a result of the “poison of the far right”.
But Mr Farage said that, while he did not “concur” with the description, it did not go “beyond the line” of what was acceptable.
He said: “If he was inciting violence, then that would be going beyond the line at which free speech is acceptable.
“It’s very, very strong language and it offends many, but then free speech should be able to offend many.”