ELON Musk has called for a new leader of Reform after Nigel Farage said he was wrong to praise far-right agitator Tommy Robinson.
But it came just hours after the opposition politician had defended the world’s richest man for his attacks on PM Sir Keir Starmer and his handling of the grooming gangs scandal.
He had told the BBC support from Musk made the opposition challengers “look cool with huge numbers of young people”, describing him as “a hero”.
Musk had been in talks over a massive donation to Reform with Farage meeting him in Florida last month.
However, Farage said the Space X and Tesla boss was wrong about describing Tommy Robinson as a political prisoner for speaking out about grooming gangs.
He added he would have a word when the pair meet at Donald Trump’s inauguration in two weeks time about why he was misguided.
But in a post on his X platform on Sunday afternoon, Musk hit back: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
Farage has spent years distancing himself from Robinson and his supporters are banned from Reform, however his cause has been leapt on by Musk in recent days.
In an interview with the BBC, Farage argued as a “free speech absolutist”, Musk has a right to his own opinion.
And he then pushed a message from Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice calling for a national inquiry in Muslim gangs in northern towns.
Farage previously said Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is “not what we need”, as his party seeks to challenge Labour in upcoming elections.
On whether Reform UK would accept support from Robinson in the future, Farage told GB News: “We’re a political party aiming to win the next general election.
“He’s not what we need.”
Farage resigned from Ukip, the party he once led, in 2018 over its “obsession” with Robinson.
Lee Anderson, Reform’s chief whip, said that Robinson would not be allowed to join the party, told the outlet: “Tommy Robinson? No, I wouldn’t welcome him into Reform UK. I think we made our position quite clear on that.
“We need to win the next election to save this great country of ours and we can’t have any distractions at all.
“I think Tommy Robinson would be a distraction.”
