Nigel Farage said he and Elon Musk still text each other, two months after their relationship dramatically blew up in an online spat about Tommy Robinson.
The world’s richest man declared Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’ to lead Reform UK in January, a stunning reversal amid rumours he was about to give the party a bumper donation.
But at a lunch event in parliament today, the Clacton MP insisted there was no bad blood between him and Musk.
He told journalists: ‘I’m not on bad terms with him, we do text a little bit, we do talk, we’re on perfectly reasonable terms.’
The potential for a mega-donation – which reports at the time suggested could be worth more than £80 million – was ‘always massively overexaggerated anyway’, Farage added.
Their spectacular falling-out came as Musk came out in support of far-right agitator Tommy Robinson, and Farage said he disagreed.
The Reform leader said: ‘He took a different view on Tommy Robinson to me, I’ve never been pro-him in any way at all. He tried to push me on it a bit, and do you know what? You can’t bully me.’
A particular sore spot for Farage was Musk’s apparent support for Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe to take over control of the party.
Earlier this month, Lowe was booted from Reform a day after he sharply criticised his leader in an interview with the Daily Mail, with the party saying he had bullied staff.
An independent investigation later found there was ‘credible evidence’ against him, and he failed to ‘address the alleged toxic conduct’ of men in his office. Lowe described the claims as ‘outright lies’.
Nigel Farage on...
The Reform UK leader had a lot to get off his chest at a parliamentary event today.
The US: Our interests and America’s interests are common, but far from symmetrical. There are priorities in the Trump movement that certainly wouldn’t be ours. But I think the war on DEI, the idea of secure borders, I think all those things really fundamentally matter.
Westminster: I never thought I’d say this, but the European Parliament was better organised and better managed than the British Parliament, in the sense that I have no idea what goes on here.
The Independent Alliance: I have little doubt, given the demographic change, if the next general election is in 2029 that the pro-Gaza independents, or whatever they call themselves, they’re going to win four seats, plus Corbyn, then they’re going to win 20 or 30 seats.
Keir Starmer: I admire Starmer in many ways. He’s a perfectly decent human being. He doesn’t exude great fun and personality, but he’s a very decent human being.
Conservatives: I’ve never met a more stuck up, arrogant, out-of-touch group of people that at least half of the Conservative MPs – stuffy, boring, old bastards.
Why white men are overrepresented in elite professions: Because the country was white men, the country in business was white men. Because the world was very different. Men went to work, women stayed and brought up kids. The world has evolved and changed since then, and it was a legacy.
The split was all the more caustic because it came in the build-up to local elections in May, which Farage suggested are of similar importance to last year’s general election.
More Trending
He said today: ‘Since I got elected back on July 4, I have had one mission, one mission only.
‘That is to build a national political party in the space of just about eight months, to do something that normally would take decades of evolution to get us ready for May 1.
‘May 1 has been my whole purpose ever since the fourth of July.’
Reform’s local election campaign will be launched in an event at the Arena Birmingham tomorrow evening, with Farage set to speak after his fellow MPs Lee Anderson and Richard Tice.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: I’m proud to be British – and I’m not embarrassed to admit it
MORE: Assassin’s Creed Shadows humiliates Elon Musk after he calls game ‘terrible’
MORE: Lawmaker says Trump should deport Melania while protesting his immigration policies
