Farage hopes to 'mend' ties with Musk on Trump trip

Reform leader also steps up pressure on prime minister as he threatens to hold his own hearings into grooming gangs

- KATE DEVLIN

Nigel Farage has said he hopes to “mend” his relationship with Elon Musk when he travels to the US for Donald Trump’s inauguration, after the two men had a bitter falling out this week.

He also attempted to step up the pressure on Sir Keir Starmer over grooming gangs, claiming his Reform party would be prepared to set up an unofficial “inquiry” within weeks if the government did not.

At the weekend the billionaire X/Twitter owner called for Mr Farage to be replaced as Reform leader in a very public spat over jailed far-right political activist Tommy Robinson.

The row came just days after Mr Farage called the world’s richest man, and close ally of US president-elect Donald Trump, “a hero” and said he was making Reform “look cool”.

Hours after Mr Farage praised Mr Musk on live television, the tycoon declared: “The Reform party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.” He then went on to appear to endorse Rupert Lowe, one of the party’s five MPs, as a replacement.

Hitting back, Mr Farage said he would never “sell out”, amid rumours Mr Musk was considering giving Reform $100m (£80m). He said “Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree. My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.”