Nigel Farage has said he is on “very good terms” with Elon Musk after the Tesla boss said that Reform UK needed a new leader.
Mr Farage told BBC’s Newsnight “I don’t think there’s any long term rift” with the billionaire, after he had said that Mr Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the party.
Earlier on Friday, the Reform leader told Sky News that he “can’t be pushed or bullied”.
The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 5, 2025
A split between the pair seemed to emerge last weekend, and followed Mr Farage’s continuing rejection of calls to support jailed, far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, whom Mr Musk has previously tweeted in favour of.
Speaking to the BBC on Friday evening after Reform’s South East conference, Mr Farage said that he and Mr Musk “had a disagreement” after the tech boss had wanted him to “come out strongly in support of Tommy Robinson”.
“We both absolutely agree that we don’t want to be at war with each other.”
Nigel Farage on his relationship with Elon Musk, after admitting they had a ‘disagreement’ over Tommy Robinson. #Newsnight pic.twitter.com/YBf3W6s5sV
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) January 10, 2025
Mr Farage went on: “Elon wasn’t very happy with me, but you know what, since then he’s retweeted me several times. I don’t think there’s any long-term rift with Elon Musk at all.”
He added: “We absolutely agree that we don’t want to be at war with each other in any way at all and we have very similar aims.”
Pushed further on their correspondence, Mr Farage said that he does not disclose private conversations, and added: “Let’s put it like this, we’re on very good terms.”
He had earlier told Sky News: “I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe in, even if that sometimes means there are some short-term consequences,” he told the station.
Mr Musk had been rumoured to be considering making a large donation to Reform before his comments on Sunday.
Mr Musk, the owner of Tesla and X – the social media site formerly known as Twitter – met Mr Farage in December at US President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, which Mr Farage described as “historic” and “great
Mr Farage also appeared to touch on last weekend’s incident in his speech at the conference on Friday night.
He told the attendees at Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher: “We are livestreaming this (conference) on all our platforms, including one called X.”
To laughter, he added: “You have good days and bad days, but that is the way it is.”
Friday night’s event was the latest in a series that has been hosted by the party in regions across the country, and it will be followed by one in the North West on Saturday.
During his speech, Mr Farage also touched on councils that have asked to postpone local elections this year ahead of the biggest reorganisation of local government in decades.
Mr Farage accused Conservative-led councils that have requested postponements of “political cowardice”.
“What they have done today is an act of political cowardice,” he told the conference on Friday night.
“It is denying people their democratic rights and frankly, I’m angry. I think the whole thing is a complete and utter disgrace.”
During the same speech, Mr Farage also welcomed the party’s latest defectors from the Conservatives.
He introduced Norfolk councillor Robin Hunter-Clarke and Elmbridge Borough councillor Harrison Allman-Varty, who was 18 when he was first voted into office and became the youngest elected borough councillor, to the event in Surrey.
