Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie has criticised the UK government’s decision not to invite Elon Musk to an upcoming tech summit.
Speaking on GB News, MacKenzie argued that the snub was a missed opportunity for publicity.
“We need the money. This country needs Elon Musk a lot more than Elon Musk needs the UK,” MacKenzie stated.
He praised Musk as “the most creative commercial tech entrepreneur of any era”, emphasising the potential benefits of his involvement for Britain.
“We need his brains and we need his money. It’s incredible,” MacKenzie added, underscoring the perceived value of Musk’s presence at the event.
The decision to exclude Musk from the International Investment Summit stems from controversial posts he made on X during the August riots in the UK. According to BBC sources, Musk shared and later deleted a conspiracy theory about the UK building “detainment camps” on the Falkland Islands for rioters.
Kelvin MacKenzie criticised Labour’s decision to snub Elon Musk
GB NEWS / PA
He also predicted civil war in Britain and criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Ministers at the time described his comments as “totally unjustifiable” and “pretty deplorable”.
The summit, scheduled for 14 October, is a key event for the Labour government to attract foreign investment. It comes two weeks before the autumn Budget.
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Musk has responded to the snub on X, formerly Twitter, with a controversial statement. He wrote: “I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted pedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts.”
The matter was discussed on GB News
GB NEWS
This claim is false, as sex offenders are excluded from the UK’s early release programme.
The billionaire’s comment appears to reference the prison early release scheme initiated by the Labour government to address overcrowding issues.
Musk’s attitude towards the UK has notably shifted since his starring role at last year’s AI Safety Summit, where he engaged in a lengthy conversation with then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Elon Musk criticised the decision
Reuters
The exclusion of Musk from the summit could impact UK investment opportunities. The government hopes to attract hundreds of leading executives and financiers to showcase Britain as “open for business” after recent political and economic turmoil.
Several major firms, including BNY, Blackstone, and CyrusOne, have confirmed attendance. Blackstone has already announced a £10 billion deal to develop Europe’s largest AI data centre in Blyth, Northumberland.
However, Musk’s absence may be felt. His previous involvement in UK tech events, such as last year’s AI Safety Summit, garnered significant attention. The decision to exclude him reflects a shift in the government’s approach to controversial figures in the tech industry.