'Who the hell is this guy?': Ed Miliband hits out at 'narcissist' Elon Musk for 'inciting violence on our streets'
Ed Miliband has branded Elon Musk an “attention-seeking narcissist” and accused him of “inciting violence on our streets” following comments the hard-right billionaire made at a Tommy Robinson rally over the weekend.
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Speaking to LBC’s Andrew Marr, the Energy Secretary slammed Mr Musk after he appeared via video-link at Robinson’s “Unite The Kingdom” rally, calling for urgent change in government and warning the crowd that “violence is coming.”
Mr Musk, who has spent the last year throwing his support behind far-right parties across Europe, told attendees they must “fight or die.”
Reacting to this, Mr Miliband said: “Who the hell is this guy? Is my reaction.
“Just because you're a billionaire, it doesn't give you the right to come and tell us how to run our country.
“And look, as far as I can see, this guy is a publicity-seeking narcissist who is inciting violence on our streets.
“And honestly, he should go back to running his car company and I think, as the Americans would say, butt out of our politics.”
Mr Miliband even suggested the Government should consider quitting X, Elon Musk’s social media platform.
Downing Street has accused the hard-right billionaire of threatening “violence and intimidation” across Britain as Sir Keir Starmer hit back at Mr Musk’s comments.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The UK is a fair, tolerant and decent country.
“The last thing the British people want is this sort of dangerous and inflammatory language.”
He said it threatened “violence and intimidation on our streets,” adding: “I don’t think the British public will have any truck with that kind of language.”
As many as 150,000 people attended the protest on Saturday, with violence breaking out throughout the day.
Some 26 police officers were injured, including four who were seriously hurt, and 24 people were arrested for a range of offences, including affray, violent disorder, assault and criminal damage
It is not the first time the Tesla boss has waded into British politics. He previously used his X social media platform to start a war of words with the Government over grooming gangs in the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer condemned the use of the flag as a symbol of “violence, fear and division” in a statement at the weekend.
He said the right to peaceful protest was core to British values but that he would not stand for “assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin”.
“Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect,” Sir Keir said.
“Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”