Nigel Farage has rushed in to defend his ‘hero’ Elon Musk after the Tesla and X owner attacked the UK government over its handling of grooming gangs.
The billionaire took to his social media platform spread some outlandish claims – about how Jess Phillips ‘deserves to be in prison’ and how Sir Keir Starmer failed to bring ‘rape gangs’ to justice during stint as a director of public prosecutions.
Musk – advisor to US president-elect Donald Trump – also made multiple calls for far-right agitator Tommy Robinson to be released from prison.
Responding to the accusations, Farage praised the business magnate, who is rumoured to be planning to invest £80 million to his Reform UK party.
He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that Musk had used ‘very tough terms’ but stressed that ‘free speech was back’ on X under his ownership.
He said Musk’s ownership of the network makes it a place for ‘proper open debate’.
‘This man happens to be the richest man in the world, but equally, the fact that he’s bought Twitter now actually gives us a place where we can have a proper open debate about many things…’ Farage added.
‘We may find it offensive, but it is a good thing, not a bad thing.’
Kuenssberg challenged the leader about his support for Musk’s claim that the PM was ‘complicit’ in the grooming gangs scandal, he said: ‘I believe in free speech, even what people say is offensive.
‘Would I rather live in a world where we are free to cause offence, than a world in which free speech gets shut down? I know which one of those I prefer.’
Farage added about his ‘bromance’ with Musk: ‘The fact that he supports me politically and supports Reform, does not mean I have to agree with every single statement he makes on X.’
The politician stressed that whether or not he gives his party money, Musk makes the party look cool with young people.
Health secretary Wes Streeting, who was interviewed on the programme after Farage, said it is not a ‘normal situation’ for the tech billionaire to claim the PM is complicit in the ‘rape of Britain.’
He also questioned how Farage could work with someone like him.
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