Revealed: Elon Musk urged Farage rival to set up new party

Elon Musk urged a rival of Nigel Farage to set up a new political party to challenge Reform UK, it has been claimed.

Ben Habib, who previously served as Reform UK’s co-deputy leader, said that the US tech billionaire made the suggestion to him in January.

The discussion came during Mr Musk’s falling out with Mr Farage after a disagreement over Tommy Robinson, the far-Right activist whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Mr Habib went on to set up the Advance UK party, which was backed by Mr Musk in a tweet that said: “Advance UK will actually drive change. Farage is weak sauce who will do nothing.”

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Habib said: “It was Musk actually that suggested to me in January to set up a new political party.”

Mr Habib and Mr Musk are understood to be in contact on X. Speaking about their discussions, he added: “What we discussed was the threat facing Western civilisation from the way we’re being governed. 

“Mass migration, net zero, no borders, DEI, progressive discrimination, all that kind of thing. We had a philosophical alignment of thinking, and the need to deregulate power, our economies, etc.”

It is the latest intervention in British politics by the US tech billionaire, after he began tweeting about the grooming gangs scandal earlier this year.

Mr Musk announced on Tuesday that he was willing to fund legal action against “corrupt officials” who he claims covered up the crimes of grooming gangs.

Mr Farage previously had a warm relationship with Mr Musk, describing him as a “hero” and meeting him in December last year at Mar-a-Lago, in Florida, alongside Nick Candy, the Reform treasurer.

At the time there had been widespread speculation that the Tesla owner was considering donating up to $100 million (£80 million) to Reform, although Mr Farage denied the rumours.

But in January, Mr Musk called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as the leader of Reform UK, claiming he “doesn’t have what it takes” after the Reform leader distanced himself from his support for Robinson.

During this row, Mr Habib said he and Mr Musk first made contact on social media, speaking over a voice call on X later that month.

He said he and Mr Musk were “completely on the same page” when it came to mass migration and freedom of speech, and that the tech billionaire had suggested he should start his own party.

The Advance UK leader said that he had been speaking to Mr Musk as recently as Monday and Tuesday and said that they were both “exasperated” by the Reform leader’s speech on migration. He added: “We’re completely on the same page that Reform is not the answer. Farage pivots from one day to the next”.

On Tuesday, Mr Farage outlined his plans for mass deportations, pledging to deport up to 600,000 illegal migrants in the first term of a Reform government.

He said Reform would aim to create capacity to detain up to 24,000 illegal migrants in remote parts of the UK within 18 months of taking office.

On Tuesday evening, Mr Musk shared a post by Yaxley-Lennon in which he urged Rupert Lowe to join Advance UK. It is understood that Yaxley-Lennon is not a part of Advance UK and does not represent the party, but has joined as a member.

Mr Habib said that, in the nine weeks since starting the party more than 22,000 people had become members. At 30,000 members, he said he would register Advance UK as a political party.

Advance UK has a “college” of independent experts, who elect the leader and can remove them through a vote of no confidence, and help develop policy. Among those recruited are the former X factor star Katie Waissel and Howard Cox, a former London mayoral candidate for Reform.