London was thrust into the heart of a political firestorm this past weekend when Elon Musk, the often-controversial tech billionaire and owner of X (formerly Twitter), addressed the massive "Unite The Kingdom" rally via video link. The event, held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, drew more than 150,000 attendees to the capital, according to multiple sources including the BBC and Financial Times. Organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, the rally's central themes were opposition to "uncontrolled migration" and calls for greater freedom of speech, but it was Musk’s incendiary remarks that quickly dominated headlines and parliamentary debate.
During his virtual appearance, Musk did not mince words. He warned, "Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die." He further called for a "change of government in Britain," advocating for the "dissolution of Parliament and a new vote held." These comments, made in conversation with Robinson, were delivered to a crowd already riled by anti-immigration rhetoric and were later rebroadcast widely across social media and traditional news outlets.
The reaction from British political leaders was swift and unequivocal. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, addressing the House of Commons on Monday, labelled Musk's language as "abhorrent." She declared, "Whether you're a hostile state or a hostile billionaire, no-one gets to mess with British democracy." Mahmood went on to highlight the country's tradition of tolerance and diversity, stating, "You can be English with roots that stretched back a thousand years. But you can also be English and look like me." She added that the "vast majority" of Britons would respond to Musk’s words with "a shake of the head."
Downing Street echoed Mahmood’s condemnation. The Prime Minister's official spokesman described Musk's words as "dangerous and inflammatory language which threatens violence and intimidation on our streets." He insisted, "The last thing the British people want is this sort of dangerous and inflammatory language." Business Secretary Peter Kyle was similarly blunt, calling Musk’s remarks "slightly incomprehensible comments that were totally inappropriate." He noted, "What we saw yesterday was over 100,000 people who were expressing freedom of association, freedom of speech, and proving that both of those things are alive and well in this country. A small minority of people who are protesting committed acts of violence against our police for which they should and they will be held accountable."
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, speaking on LBC radio, was even more direct: "Who the hell is this guy? Is my reaction. Just because you’re a billionaire, it doesn’t give you a right to come and tell us how to run our country. As far as I can see, this guy is a publicity-seeking narcissist who is inciting violence on our streets. And honestly, you know, he should go back to running his car company. And I think, as the Americans would say, butt out of our politics."
Across the political spectrum, Musk’s comments were met with outrage and calls for accountability. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told the BBC that Musk was "deeply irresponsible, deeply dangerous," and said British democracy was "too precious to be a plaything for foreign tech barons." On X, Davey wrote, "Elon Musk doesn't care about the British people or our rights. He only cares about himself and his ego." In an open letter to other party leaders, Davey called for a united front: "I am writing to urge each of you to put party politics aside and join me in publicly condemning these dangerous remarks, and to jointly consider what sanctions Elon Musk should face as a consequence. We must make clear that no individual, however wealthy or powerful, can get away with using their platform to inflame tensions and incite violence."
Musk, never one to retreat from a public spat, fired back on X, branding Davey a "craven coward." The exchange only amplified the controversy, with Davey responding through a meme referencing the billionaire’s penchant for online provocation. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats urged the government to reconsider any contracts with Musk’s companies, such as Tesla, and to scrutinize his application to Ofgem for a license to sell and distribute energy in the UK. "They are the sorts of things we should look at," Davey told Newsnight.
Other political figures weighed in with varying degrees of condemnation or caution. Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride told BBC Radio 4 that Musk's rhetoric was "the wrong kind of tone," but acknowledged the underlying tensions in society: "We live in an increasingly divisive society. We know that illegal migration is playing a part in that, and we need to have this government get a grip on that." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose party Musk had previously supported, refused to outright condemn Musk’s remarks. Farage said, "There was a degree of ambiguity" in Musk’s words and added, "If the fight that Musk was talking about was about standing up for our rights and free speech, if it was about fighting in elections to overcome the established parties, then that absolutely is the fight that we're in." Still, Musk had recently cooled on Farage, stating earlier this year that Farage "doesn't have what it takes" to lead Reform UK.
Voices outside Parliament also made themselves heard. SNP MP Chris Law asserted that Musk "represents absolutely no one here in Scotland, the UK nor indeed in the US," arguing that "being the richest just proves it doesn’t make you either clever, brave or wise." Labour MP Torsten Bell commented, "Elon Musk can buy a social media site and try to make it feel like Britain supports Tommy Robinson and his hate - but he can’t buy Britain or change the truth that this country is actually full of good people who are out making their communities better places to live every day." Green Party peer Jenny Jones expressed "horror or fury" at the "societal damage" caused by "thuggish far right fascists."
Independent peer Lord Walney suggested Musk was attempting to "raise the crowd" into "incitement of violence," while Brendan Cox, husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, stated, "This is Elon Musk inciting violence. He’s not hiding it. It’s not subtle. It’s plain and simple incitement." Journalist David Aaronovitch and Financial Times commentator Edward Luce added to the chorus of criticism, with Luce calling Musk "a disturbed and vicious man" and urging Britain to make him persona non grata.
The fallout from Musk’s speech reignited debate about the role of foreign billionaires in domestic politics, the limits of free speech, and the responsibilities of social media platforms in moderating inflammatory rhetoric. With government officials reviewing their communications on X and opposition parties calling for sanctions, the controversy has proven that, in Britain, democracy remains fiercely defended—even, or perhaps especially, when it is challenged by one of the world’s most prominent tech moguls.
