United Kingdom | Elon Musk considers funding Nigel Farage’s populist party

(London) It’s a photo that made the British political class tremble: Elon Musk, flanked by populist politician Nigel Farage and a rich underwriter, in front of a painting with a gold frame representing a young Donald Trump.

Taken earlier this week at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the photo suggests Mr Musk, a key player in the new US administration, may soon turn his attention to the UK.

Nigel Farage, Britain’s biggest supporter of Mr Trump, has confirmed that discussions are underway for Elon Musk to make a large donation to his party, Reform UK.

The Times of London reported that this contribution could reach US 100 million, which would be by far the largest political donation in the history of the United Kingdom. The reports sparked calls for a rapid tightening of UK rules on political contributions, particularly those from abroad.

There are strict limits in the UK on the amount political parties can spend on election campaigning, but contributions are unlimited, provided donors are British voters or businesses registered in that country. Mr. Musk’s social network X has a British branch, “Twitter UK”, with an address registered in London.

Some argue that this is a loophole that allows foreign interference in British politics. The UK Electoral Commission is calling for changes, including to limit corporate contributions, so they cannot give more than their income generated in Britain.

“It is crucial that British voters have confidence in the funding of our political system,” the commission’s director general, Vijay Rangarajan, told the Guardian. “The system needs to be strengthened, and we have been calling for changes to the law since 2013, to protect the electoral system from foreign interference. »

Mr Farage confirmed to broadcaster GB News after the meeting with Mr Musk that they had spoken about money and that a negotiation would resume. “He’s not against giving us money. He has not yet decided whether he will do so. »

Musk doesn’t like the PM very much

The centre-left Labor Party pledged during last summer’s election campaign to toughen rules on political contributions, although no bills are planned for the coming year. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman Dave Pares said on Wednesday work was already underway to “strengthen existing safeguards” against “impermissible proxy donations”.

The Labor government and centre-right Conservatives are trying to determine how to deal with Elon Musk, who has a keen interest in the UK – and appears to have developed a strong dislike for Labor’s Starmer.

Elon Musk often posts articles about the UK on “two-tiered” — with far-right protesters being treated more harshly than pro-Palestinian or “Black Lives Matter” protesters.

Elon Musk has also compared British attempts to combat online disinformation to the Soviet Union. And, during last summer’s anti-immigration violence across the UK, he wrote on X that “civil war is inevitable”.

Nigel Farage has echoed some of these themes in his own social media posts and in his party’s “anti-woke” programme, which includes pledges to cut immigration, abandon targets on green energy and to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Founded in 2021, the Reform UK party is the latest in a series of small far-right parties led by Mr Farage, which have had limited success at the polls but outsized influence on British politics. Mr Farage’s opposition to the European Union helped push the country to vote in 2016 for “Brexit”.

“Reform UK” won only five of the 650 seats in the House of Commons in July’s election, but came second in dozens of other counties and received 14% of the vote nationally.

As the Conservative Party attempts to recover from its worst election result since 1832, Nigel Farage dreams of making the Reform Party the main opposition – or even the government – ​​after the next election, scheduled for 2029.

It’s unlikely, but Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said a large donation from Musk could have “disruptive potential in many ways.” He believes the money would give the Reform Party “the opportunity to try to build a serious campaign organization, which they have generally lacked.”