Nigel Farage has boasted that Elon Musk is “right behind him” and suggested that the tech mogul will open his chequebook to help Farage’s rebellious Reform UK party, POLITCO reports.
Farage, who is a staunch ally of Donald Trump and now heads the Reform UK party, visited Musk at the US president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday.
Making light of the trip to the States in a Telegraph article on Tuesday night, Farage said “money was discussed” with the X owner, who has been tipped to lead a government of efficiency under Trump. Musk has supported the reforms while feuding with Britain’s centre-left Labour government.
“He described the Labour and Conservative parties as the uniparty, and left us in no doubt that he is right behind us,” Farage wrote of the meeting.
Last month, The Sunday Times reported fears among rival parties in Westminster that Musk was considering donating up to $100 million to support Farage’s fight. It would be the largest single donation in British history, although both camps have poured a gulp of cold water on the figure.
After their meeting on Monday, Farage wrote:
“Inevitably, following such intense media speculation, the issue of money was discussed, and there will be ongoing negotiations on that score.”
Any help from Musk would be a headache for Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The X owner has spent time this year in public arguments with Starmer over policing, social media regulation and economic policy.
Farage said Musk was “very generous with his time” in explaining how Trump’s campaign won the White House for a second time in November’s presidential election. He wrote:
“I have come home with copious notes of how they increased the turnout, voter registration and so much more.”
Farage’s former communications director Gawain Towler, meanwhile, said Musk could be drawn to donate solely for the “mischief” of violating British politics.
“For the cost of half a toenail, I can disrupt the entire British establishment? Ooh … that might be fun,” Towler told LBC.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice on Wednesday did not elaborate on whether his party would accept donations from Musk. “Let’s wait and see,” he told Sky. UK election finance laws say foreign nationals cannot make donations of more than £500 to UK political parties.
But transparency experts say these rules can be easily circumvented by donating through companies or so-called unincorporated associations. Asked whether Americans should influence British politics, Tice said of Musk:
“He’s an international businessman with very significant interests here.”
