Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has sought to distance himself from Elon Musk's recent backing of jailed far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson.

Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur, joined calls for Yaxley-Lennon's release following his October imprisonment for contempt of court after spreading false accusations against a Syrian refugee.

Farage, who has previously welcomed Musk’s public support and even traveled to Florida last month to meet him at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, now finds himself in an awkward position. While Musk’s endorsement bolsters Farage’s profile, the association with Yaxley-Lennon is problematic for the Reform UK leader, who has long rejected any affiliation with the controversial activist.

Addressing party members at Reform UK’s East Midlands conference in Leicester on Friday, Farage acknowledged Musk’s influence but made clear his reservations. “Elon has a wide array of opinions—some of which I strongly agree with, and others about which I am more cautious,” Farage said. Despite these differences, he described Musk as “a remarkable figure” in American politics.

Farage praised Musk for his acquisition of social media platform X (formerly Twitter), calling him a “hero” for restoring free speech on the platform. “Even if we don’t agree with everything he says, we should appreciate the fact that he’s promoting open dialogue,” Farage added. Musk’s potential financial backing for Reform UK has been viewed by Farage as a valuable asset, with the tech mogul reportedly considering a significant donation to the party.

Meanwhile, Musk’s criticisms of the UK government’s handling of grooming gangs have drawn backlash. In a series of posts on X, Musk accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute child grooming offenders and even called for safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to be jailed. Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned Musk’s remarks as “misjudged and misinformed,” emphasizing the government’s commitment to tackling child exploitation.

The Conservative Party also weighed in, accusing Musk of sharing “factually inaccurate” information on the matter. Despite the controversy, Farage has continued to describe Musk as an important ally in his broader political campaign, while carefully steering clear of endorsing all of Musk’s views. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.