Elon Musk has appeared to hit out at Reform UK (Image: Getty)
American billionaire Elon Musk has accused Reform UK of being “nazis” in an escalation of the ongoing feud between Nigel Farage and rival party, Restore Britain. It comes hours after Laila Cunningham, Reform’s candidate for Mayor of London accused the party established by Rupert Lowe MP of being a “neo-nazi”. In a bizarre post on his social media platform X, Mr Musk, 54, responded to a message by the official Restore Britain account seemingly mentioning the allegation, with the businessman posting: “THEY are the ones who want race extinction, which means THEY are the Nazis!”.
Mr Lowe, 68, threatened legal action after Ms Cunningham, 48, launched the attack on his party on GB News. Mr Lowe demanded she retract and apologise after a party spokesman said such allegations put their members “in severe danger”. Now Mr Musk has rowed into the ongoing feud to accuse Reform UK – which has been leading in the opinion polls for months – of being “nazis”. Reform has declined to comment. The richest man in the world backed Mr Lowe in the past, once calling for him to replace Mr Farage as leader of Reform, shortly before the Great Yarmouth MP was ejected from the party over a separate matter.
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Speaking at the time of the accusation by Ms Cunningham, Mr Lowe wrote: “Reform is just more of the same. Old, tired, party political bulls*** that has failed us all for so many years. Flinging around these insults when they can’t tackle the arguments. We’ve had it for decades. It is so very boring.”
Mr Musk himself has previously demanded that labelling “non-violent people as “fascists” or “Nazi” should be treated as incidental to murder” in a post last November. The South African born billionaire was a public supporter of US President Donald Trump, until he fell out with him last year.
The ongoing spat comes just days after Mr Lowe’s party was formed, which the former Reform MP announced in a video broadcast from his farm. At the time he said: “I have chosen to speak to you today from the farm, because places like this are what proper Britain is about. Hard work, responsibility, effort, duty, stewardship. This is the England I know, and this is the England I love.”
The Restore Britain – Musk exchange on X (Image: X)
Farage’s Reform accused of being nazis by Musk (Image: Getty)
Party insiders say the organisation now has more than 70,000 members, which they claim is “more than the Liberal Democrats”. The Daily Express has not been able to independently verify these claims. Restore Britain has seen the defection of 9 councillors, 7 in Kent and 2 in Northamptonshire in the past two days.
Speaking at a media conference yesterday Mr Farage dismissed concerns around the new party posing a risk to Reform saying: “Does he [Lowe] have a profile on X? Yes he does. Is Elon [Musk] going to support him? Probably. But you see, when he stood up and said ‘we’ve got to consider the mass deportation of entire communities, including those born in the United Kingdom’, that just moves way beyond the point of reasonableness, decency, morality.”
Restore Britain is seeking to position itself to the right of Reform UK. Mr Farage has previously slammed minor parties, saying yesterday: “There are, last time we counted, 11 parties that claim to be on the right or centre right of British politics, from the Heritage Party to goodness knows who else. There is only one proper brand of centre-right politics in this country, it’s call Reform. People think ‘oh, Farage has done it, we’ll just set a party up, it’ll be marvellous, we’ll sweep the next election’, it just isn’t as easy as that!”
Elon Musk Calls Nigel Farage’s Reform UK ‘Nazis’ as Extraordinary War of Words Erupts
An extraordinary war of words has erupted between Elon Musk and Nigel Farage, with the billionaire entrepreneur attacking Reform UK while throwing his support behind the party’s political rival, Restore Britain.
The dispute marks a remarkable deterioration in the relationship between Musk and Farage. Once publicly associated with Britain’s populist right, the two men are now on opposing sides of an increasingly bitter political argument.
Musk has backed Rupert Lowe, the former Reform UK MP who went on to establish Restore Britain after his break with Farage. In February 2026, Musk publicly urged people to support Lowe’s new party, while in May he declared on X that “Only Restore Britain can save Britain.”
The intervention has intensified an already fierce struggle for influence on Britain’s political right.
Musk Turns Against Farage
Musk’s relationship with Reform UK had already become complicated before his latest attacks.
The billionaire had previously expressed support for Reform and had been seen as an important potential ally for Farage’s political project. But that relationship deteriorated as Musk increasingly backed Rupert Lowe.
Lowe had been elected as a Reform MP in 2024 before falling out with the party leadership. His relationship with Farage eventually collapsed, and he subsequently launched Restore Britain as a separate political organisation.
Musk’s intervention gave Lowe an influential international supporter with an enormous audience on social media.
The dispute escalated when Musk criticised Reform UK and accused the party of positions he described using the highly charged term “Nazi”. A report published in June documented Musk’s support for Lowe and the increasingly hostile exchanges surrounding Reform and Restore.
The language immediately generated controversy because comparisons with Nazism carry an exceptionally serious historical meaning.
Farage and Musk on Opposite Sides
Farage has rejected Musk’s attacks and has criticised the billionaire’s decision to support Lowe.
The Reform leader has argued that Musk is attempting to divide Britain’s political right by backing Restore Britain.
This criticism became particularly prominent during the campaign for the Makerfield by-election, where Restore Britain was competing against Reform UK.
Farage told The Independent that Musk’s intervention risked “splitting the right” and criticised the billionaire for supporting what he described as a small political organisation.
The Guardian similarly reported that Farage viewed Musk’s involvement as an attempt to divide right-wing voters, while Restore sought to attract support from people who might otherwise have voted Reform.
The disagreement therefore has a clear political dimension.
Musk is not simply commenting on British politics from a distance. He has actively promoted a rival party led by someone who previously belonged to Farage’s organisation.
Why Rupert Lowe Matters
The central figure connecting the dispute is Rupert Lowe.
Lowe became a Reform MP at the 2024 general election, but his relationship with the party subsequently deteriorated. Reform suspended him after allegations of bullying and verbal abuse. Lowe denied the allegations.
After leaving Reform, Lowe established Restore Britain.
The new party occupies political territory that overlaps substantially with Reform, particularly on immigration, national identity and the role of the British state.
This makes Lowe a direct political competitor to Farage.
Musk’s support has therefore added another dimension to an already complicated rivalry.
Rather than merely criticising Reform, Musk has provided significant publicity for its political competitor.
Restore Britain Gains Attention
Restore Britain’s emergence has been particularly noticeable on social media.
Musk’s enormous following gives Lowe access to an audience far larger than that of most new British political parties.
In May, Musk publicly promoted Restore Britain, while Lowe used his own social-media accounts to present the party as a new political alternative.
The Guardian reported that Restore was attracting some support from voters who might otherwise have backed Reform, particularly during the Makerfield by-election campaign. A Survation poll cited by the newspaper placed Restore on 7% among decided voters in the constituency, with Reform on 40% and Labour on 43%.
That poll measured only one constituency and should not be treated as evidence of nationwide support.
Nevertheless, it demonstrated why Reform figures were paying attention.
Even a relatively small rival party can matter in a closely contested constituency if it attracts voters from a larger party occupying similar political territory.
The “Nazi” Accusation
Musk’s description of Reform UK using Nazi terminology has become one of the most controversial elements of the dispute.
Such a comparison is an extremely strong political accusation and is contested by the people it targets.
It is important to distinguish between reporting that Musk used the term and independently establishing that the comparison is historically or politically accurate.
Reform UK has not accepted Musk’s characterisation.
The party continues to describe itself as a political movement focused on immigration, taxation, national sovereignty, public services and reform of the British state.
At the same time, Reform and Farage have faced criticism from opponents over rhetoric concerning immigration and national identity.
Those criticisms are separate from establishing whether the Nazi label itself is an accurate description.
The controversy demonstrates how political debate on social media can quickly move from disagreements about specific policies to disputes over ideological identity.
A Wider Fight Over Immigration
Immigration is one of the central issues dividing Reform UK and Restore Britain.
Reform has advocated substantial restrictions on immigration and tougher measures against illegal migration.
Restore Britain has gone further in some areas, including advocating what it calls “remigration” and a large-scale programme of deportations.
Al Jazeera reported that Restore’s manifesto proposes what the party describes as the “most ambitious programme of mass deportations ever seen in Britain”, including measures affecting some foreign-born legal residents.
That policy positioning helps explain why Musk has been attracted to Lowe’s political project.
It also highlights the competition between the two organisations.
Farage has spent years attempting to establish Reform as the principal political alternative for voters demanding tougher immigration policies.
Lowe is now presenting his party as an even more uncompromising alternative.
The Social Media Factor
The dispute also demonstrates the growing importance of social media in British politics.
Musk owns X, the platform where much of the confrontation has taken place.
His posts can reach millions of users almost instantly, allowing him to influence political conversations without going through traditional newspapers or broadcasters.
For a small political party such as Restore Britain, this can be particularly significant.
Traditional political organisations spend substantial amounts of money building recognition, advertising and media coverage.
A single endorsement from one of the world’s most prominent technology entrepreneurs can generate enormous publicity.
Farage has recognised the importance of this influence but has also attacked Musk’s involvement.
The result is an unusual situation in which a major international technology billionaire is openly taking sides in an internal dispute within Britain’s populist right.
Farage’s Response
Farage has attempted to portray Musk’s intervention as evidence that the billionaire is seeking to fracture the right-wing vote.
The argument is particularly relevant during elections where Reform and Restore compete in the same constituencies.
In Makerfield, Farage warned that support for Restore could benefit Labour by dividing voters who otherwise might have supported Reform.
Restore, however, has rejected the idea that its purpose is simply to take votes from Reform.
Lowe presents his organisation as a separate political movement with its own policies and argues that voters should be able to choose between different parties.
This disagreement reflects a broader question about political competition.
Should parties with similar policy positions cooperate to maximise their combined support, or should they compete independently for voters?
The Musk-Farage dispute has brought that question into the open.
From Alliance to Hostility
Perhaps the most striking feature of the controversy is how quickly political relationships can change.
Musk was once viewed by parts of the British right as a potential ally.
Farage himself had welcomed Musk’s interest in British politics.
But the relationship has now become openly hostile.
Musk’s support for Lowe has transformed him from a potential supporter of Reform into a prominent backer of its rival.
Farage has responded by questioning Musk’s motives and his political strategy.
The disagreement is therefore no longer simply about individual policies.
It has become a struggle over who should define the future direction of Britain’s political right.
What the Conflict Means for Reform and Restore
The consequences of the dispute remain uncertain.
Restore Britain is still a much smaller organisation than Reform UK, and the available polling cited above relates to individual constituencies rather than Britain as a whole.
Nevertheless, Lowe has succeeded in establishing himself as a persistent critic of Farage.
Musk’s support gives that challenge additional visibility.
For Reform, the problem is that the party must now compete not only against Labour, the Conservatives and the Greens but also against a smaller organisation attempting to attract some of the same voters.
For Restore, the challenge is different.
The party must demonstrate that its support extends beyond social media and beyond the personal conflict between Lowe and Farage.
Whether it can build a sustainable political organisation will depend on candidates, local campaigning, policy development and voter support.
Conclusion
Elon Musk’s attacks on Reform UK and his support for Rupert Lowe have produced one of the most extraordinary political disputes in Britain’s current political landscape.
Musk has promoted Restore Britain and described it as a political alternative to Farage’s Reform UK. Farage, meanwhile, has accused Musk of attempting to divide Britain’s political right by supporting Lowe’s organisation.
The use of Nazi terminology has pushed the argument into particularly contentious territory. Such language is a political characterisation rather than an established fact, and Reform UK rejects the description.
Behind the social-media confrontation, however, lies a more concrete political struggle.
Rupert Lowe has left Reform and created a rival organisation. Elon Musk has chosen to support him. Nigel Farage is attempting to maintain Reform’s position as a major political force.
Immigration, welfare, national identity and Britain’s future political direction are all part of the disagreement.
The extraordinary war of words between Musk and Farage is therefore about more than two powerful personalities trading insults online. It reflects a deeper contest over political leadership, ideology and the future organisation of Britain’s right-wing political movement.
For now, the rivalry between Reform UK and Restore Britain continues — with Elon Musk firmly on Lowe’s side and Nigel Farage determined to defend his political project.