Elon Musk and Nigel Farage get flirty

LONDON — Nigel Farage, the architect of Brexit now gunning for Britain’s Labour government, thinks he has an ace up his sleeve.

The leader of Britain’s Reform UK Party has in recent days been talking up a partnership with Elon Musk, billionaire tech boss and a key adviser to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Citing “leading businessmen and Conservative Party officials,” The Times this weekend reported on fears among Farage’s political opponents in the U.K. that the world’s richest man is even about to get out his checkbook — to the tune of $100 million — and support Farage’s fight.

Farage told the paper he did not know whether Musk would give his party — which took chunks out of the Conservative Party’s vote in this year’s election and now has eyes on Labour — any cash.

But he said: “All I can say is that I’m in touch with him and he is very supportive of my policy positions.

“We both share a friendship with Donald Trump and Trump has said good things about me in front of Musk. We’ve got a good relationship with him.”

Last week, Farage hinted at help from Musk, owner of social media giant X, as he seeks to replicate U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s win in November.

Responding to questions from journalists, Farage said: “Are Trump and Elon going to support me in the run up to 2029? Well, that’s what friends are for, isn’t it?”

The feeling appears to be mutual.

On Thursday, an account on X posted news of the latest Tory defection to Reform’s ranks with the comment: “Reform will win the next general election.”

Sharing the post with his more than 200 million followers, Musk said: “Yes.”

Reform declined to comment on The Times story Monday. The party’s former Director of Communications Gawain Towler raised an eyebrow at what he called “febrile Westminster gossip.” But he said the donation was not “100 percent out of the question,” arguing that Musk sees the U.K. as “where the ideas of liberty and freedom came from in the first place.” Musk, he said, has an “emotional attachment” to Britain.

Tories: You’re only helping Labour

Reform still trails Labour and the Tories in terms of House of Commons seats. But it is currently polling at 18 percent nationally, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, and came second to Labour in a string of seats at the general election.

Musk meanwhile has little time for Britain’s current government. He has feuded repeatedly with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on X, weighing in on domestic politics and boosting news stories critical of the center-left Labour leader.

For now, even speculative reports of closer ties between Musk and Farage are enough to have Conservatives hoping for a change of heart.

Pressed on the donation story Monday, Conservative frontbencher Rich Holden warned that supporting Farage’s outfit will only help Labour.

“I think that’s very clear from what we saw in the general election,” Holden told GB News. “It played out in hundreds of seats across the country and ended up with Labour getting that supermajority.

“So I’d say exactly the same to Elon Musk. I’d say, look, if you wanna see Keir Starmer out of office then more broadly, whether it’s yourself or anyone else, you’ve got to support the Conservatives.

“It’s us who are head-to-head with Labour in those realistic fights up and down the country.”

ConservativeHome, the grassroots bible of the Tory party, asked in an editorial Monday: “Is Musk the real leader of the opposition?”