US tycoon Elon Musk is in talks with Nigel Farage about him possibly funding his far-right party Reform UK, spurring on calls in the UK to fight back against the "Americanisation" of politics.
The architect of Brexit was at the US President-elect Donald Trump’s private residence in Florida this week, having travelled alongside Reform's treasurer Nick Candy. The party has 5 MPs in Westminster, including Farage who became an MP in 2024 after his eighth attempt.
In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, the Reform leader claimed Musk was now "fully, fully behind" the party. "He wants to help us, he's not opposed to the idea of giving us money, provided we can do it legally through UK companies," he added.
During the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Farage said that the two did not discuss actual figures, with the reported $100m (€96m) donation being "for the birds".
Both Reform politicians say they "learned a great deal from Musk about the Trump ground game". After the meeting, Musk replied "absolutely" to a social media post by Farage saying "Britain needs Reform”.
Musk has not commented on the matter of funding. However, as a US citizen he would not be able to make a direct donation.
In the UK, only British individuals and companies are allowed to make party donations, which would discount one directly from Musk. He could use a loophole, with some reports saying the donation could be made through the UK branch of X. However, Elon Musk’s father has also claimed on populist media GB News they are both eligible for UK citizenship.
According to the BBC, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Elections says it would not be legal donation and wants the law changed. Prime Minister Starmer’s office says the government has committed to strengthening the rules, which currently allow donations from UK registered companies.
Leading think tanks, including one linked to former PM Tony Blair, have recommended annual cap of £100,000 from individual financial backers to help reverse "Americanisation" of British politics, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Farage has previously said the UK's election watchdog "would take a view that a donation that came from a company would have to be proportional to the size of the company in this country".
Credit: X
The Conservatives, arguably the biggest losers if this goes ahead, have also urged Musk not to fund Farage.
The former MP Miriam Cates wrote on X: "Now imagine…a picture of Bill Gates with Keir Starmer, pledging support for the Labour Party. You are either for or against foreign interference in British politics. It can't just depend on whether you agree with or like the individual billionaire concerned."
Last summer, Musk was interviewed on X by former UK Prime Minister and Tory leader Rishi Sunak during the election campaign. After Starmer's victory, Musk became a fierce critic on X. He also played a leading role in the proliferation of disinformation during August’s far-right riots on immigration in the UK.
In the EU, donations from natural or legal persons may not exceed €18,000 per year and per donor. Funding from private entities based in a third country are also not allowed.
