Elon Musk has sparked outrage in the UK by launching a barrage of posts riddled with misinformation, targeting key figures and issues. The billionaire entrepreneur has revived questions about a child sex abuse scandal, vilified Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and defended a jailed far-right agitator.
Musk’s criticism of Starmer includes false claims that he failed to go after the perpetrators of the 2014 child sex abuse scandal, which was investigated by the police and Crown Prosecution Service. Musk has also accused Starmer of being complicit in “the rape of Britain” during his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Service.
However, experts say Musk’s actions are likely to backfire, given his lack of knowledge about UK politics and governance. “He looks for information that confirms his picture of Britain,” said Sunder Katwala, director of British Future. “The problem he has in exporting it to Britain is the evident lack of knowledge of Britain.”
Despite Starmer’s government having a landslide majority, Musk’s criticism has rattled politicians across the spectrum. Lawmakers have called on the government to tighten laws to restrict foreigners from donating to British political parties.
Musk’s influence over his followers and his proximity to US President Donald Trump mean that his opinions cannot be ignored by the UK government. However, analysts say his message is unlikely to resonate with the British public, who are increasingly skeptical of online disinformation.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/world/europe/elon-musk-britain-social-media.html