Musk-Farage meeting hands a political gift to Starmer

The talks between Nigel Farage and Elon Musk at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida have highlighted the urgent need to reform the UK's archaic rules on how political parties are funded. No money for Reform UK was agreed and Farage described reports of a $100m donation by Musk as "for the birds".

- ANDREW GRICE

Westminster whispers suggest the figure was floated by a jittery, cash-strapped Conservative Party fretting about Reform’s momentum in the opinion polls. But Musk and Farage will talk again about a multimillion-pound injection that could be the biggest donation in UK political history, which is believed to be John Sainsbury’s £10m gift to the Tories in his will.

Musk’s hypocrisy is clear. He is prepared, it seems, to interfere in UK elections to tilt the playing field hugely in Reform’s favour. Yet he cried “illegal” foreign interference when Labour aides went to the US to support the Democrats’ campaign against Trump in this year’s election.

Musk, who could give money legally under the current rules through his X or Tesla companies because they are UKregistered, wants to give Keir Starmer the order of the boot. Trump’s first buddy has accused Starmer of running a “tyrannical police state”, “going full Stalin” by making farmers subject to inheritance tax and said “civil war is inevitable” in the UK during the summer riots, which were whipped up on X (Twitter).