The Guardian brands Elon Musk "Worlds Richest Pub Bore"

Wyllow3

GrannyGravy13

Tweets from Wes Streeting going back to 2009, are being reposted this morning on X

They definitely incite violence, if not death. Tweeting how you will push a journalist under a train, along with loading your gun ready to use and slapping people…

I will not post the actual tweets here the above is a précis, I am mindful of GN guidelines.

True: unacceptable now: and if we go back that far, we find a lot of very racist quotes from Farage and others that now would not see the light of day, and certainly appalling misogyny from many: I think there is a limit on "how far back" we try to use as "ammunition".

If there is to be a limit on how far back people go for ammunition then it should be a level playing field applied to all.

Not a pick and mix to back up anyone’s political agenda.

Well that takes the biscuit!

news.sky.com/story/farage-doesnt-have-what-it-takes-musk-says-reform-uk-needs-a-new-leader-13284086

Wyllow3

Well that takes the biscuit!

news.sky.com/story/farage-doesnt-have-what-it-takes-musk-says-reform-uk-needs-a-new-leader-13284086

😄😄 I think it is hilarious, and couldn’t resist starting a thread

Wyllow3

Well that takes the biscuit!

news.sky.com/story/farage-doesnt-have-what-it-takes-musk-says-reform-uk-needs-a-new-leader-13284086

I've just read about this. Farage was calling Musk a hero this morning on LK and was expecting money for Reform from him.
Musk has now sided against Farage and wants him out.

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3

GrannyGravy13

Tweets from Wes Streeting going back to 2009, are being reposted this morning on X

They definitely incite violence, if not death. Tweeting how you will push a journalist under a train, along with loading your gun ready to use and slapping people…

I will not post the actual tweets here the above is a précis, I am mindful of GN guidelines.

True: unacceptable now: and if we go back that far, we find a lot of very racist quotes from Farage and others that now would not see the light of day, and certainly appalling misogyny from many: I think there is a limit on "how far back" we try to use as "ammunition".

If there is to be a limit on how far back people go for ammunition then it should be a level playing field applied to all.

Not a pick and mix to back up anyone’s political agenda.

I really, and genuinely agree, GG13 it should be a level playing field. I'm just trying to say just that, it's across the board.

Look at the revelations just this April discovered on Facebook

"Tory staff running network of anti-Ulez Facebook groups riddled with racism and abuse

Investigation finds groups hosting Islamophobic attacks on London mayor Sadiq Khan, white supremacist slogans and antisemitic conspiracy theories

www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/27/tory-staff-running-network-of-anti-ulez-facebook-groups-riddled-with-racism-and-abuse

"The closed groups – which have a combined membership of 38,000 – have been a forum for Islamophobic attacks on Labour’s London mayor Sadiq Khan, with members calling him a “terrorist sympathiser” and a “khaki punt” and saying they would pay to get him “popped”.

Other posts promote white supremacist slogans, antisemitic conspiracy theories and have encouraged the destruction of Ulez enforcement cameras"

Our tolerance levels have to be pretty high! Thats why I want the back up safety net of modest Online Safety measures.

AGAA4

Wyllow3

Well that takes the biscuit!

news.sky.com/story/farage-doesnt-have-what-it-takes-musk-says-reform-uk-needs-a-new-leader-13284086

I've just read about this. Farage was calling Musk a hero this morning on LK and was expecting money for Reform from him.
Musk has now sided against Farage and wants him out.

It's bizarre actually, it must have surprised all of us that he'd turn on Farage. whats his "game?"

He's quite right in this instance but it would be a tad tricky based on the newly-adopted Reform Party constitution - unless NF steps aside voluntarily.

I'm assuming that NF has already been adopted as Party Leader under this constitution but maybe not.

assets.nationbuilder.com/reformuk/pages/2206/attachments/original/1726655475/Reform_UK_Constitution.pdf?1726655475

else:

No confidence motions

6.28.A motion of no confidence in the Party Leader may be proposed in two ways:

6.28.1. by 50 Members of the Parliamentary Party or 50% of the Members of the Parliamentary Party (whichever is greater), writing to the Chairman and requesting a motion of no confidence. For the avoidance of doubt, clause 6.28.1 is only applicable in the event that the Parliamentary Party consists of more than 100 MPs; or ...

(Members of the PP are the current sitting MPs so with only five of them, this can't happen in this Parliament.)

6.28.2. by 50% of all Members in Good Standing writing to the Chairman requesting a motion of no confidence.

In either case such a request shall only be valid for 60 days from the day of receipt, after that time the Chairman shall disregard such requests.

The ticker is currently just shy of 175,000 so 87,500 of members would have to write over 60 days expressing no confidence.

Gobsmacked!

Perhaps Mr Farage isn't quite homophobic/ racist/ misogynistic enough for Mr Musk, unlike Mr Yaxley, or, maybe, Mr Tice? Oh the irony!

Wyllow3

AGAA4

Wyllow3

Well that takes the biscuit!

news.sky.com/story/farage-doesnt-have-what-it-takes-musk-says-reform-uk-needs-a-new-leader-13284086

I've just read about this. Farage was calling Musk a hero this morning on LK and was expecting money for Reform from him.
Musk has now sided against Farage and wants him out.

It's bizarre actually, it must have surprised all of us that he'd turn on Farage. whats his "game?"

I think that is the point Willow.. it is a game for Musk

It could just be click bait. X has been haemorraging members of late and Musk will want to reverse that:

Recently, journalist Jonathan Lis posted:

Musk’s journey from mostly harmless oddball centrist to committed supporter of fascists is neither interesting nor original. But if the world’s richest man and supposed greatest genius can fall victim to such cringeworthy radicalisation, millions of others can too.

One response: I would suggest he hasn't fallen victim, he has just realised it is something else that he can monetise.

over on here too
www.gransnet.com/forums/news_and_politics/1344168-Oh-my-Farage-isn-t-up-to-it-according-to-Musk

On GB news there is a bit more depth - this was said before the election

"However, tensions rose when Musk came out in support of campaigner and former English Defence Leader Tommy Robinson, someone who both Farage and Richard Tice have distanced themselves from.

Farage said: "Everyone says, well, what about [Musk's] comments on Tommy Robinson? Look, my position is perfectly clear on that. I never wanted Tommy Robinson to join UKIP, I don't want him to join Reform UK, and he won't be."
"He later said: "Musk sees Robinson as one of these people that fought against the grooming gangs...the truth is Tommy Robinson is in prison not for that, but for contempt of court."

"We're a political party aiming to win the next general election. He's not what we need.""

I wonder what his end game is? Whatever else Musk is, he’s got a level of Machiavellian intelligence. World domination as in Bond villan?

Has Musk got someone in mind he would like to replace Farage? He seems very invested in UK politics.

FlitterMouse

He's quite right in this instance but it would be a tad tricky based on the newly-adopted Reform Party constitution - unless NF steps aside voluntarily.

I'm assuming that NF has already been adopted as Party Leader under this constitution but maybe not.

assets.nationbuilder.com/reformuk/pages/2206/attachments/original/1726655475/Reform_UK_Constitution.pdf?1726655475

else:

No confidence motions

6.28.A motion of no confidence in the Party Leader may be proposed in two ways:

6.28.1. by 50 Members of the Parliamentary Party or 50% of the Members of the Parliamentary Party (whichever is greater), writing to the Chairman and requesting a motion of no confidence. For the avoidance of doubt, clause 6.28.1 is only applicable in the event that the Parliamentary Party consists of more than 100 MPs; or ...

(Members of the PP are the current sitting MPs so with only five of them, this can't happen in this Parliament.)

6.28.2. by 50% of all Members in Good Standing writing to the Chairman requesting a motion of no confidence.

In either case such a request shall only be valid for 60 days from the day of receipt, after that time the Chairman shall disregard such requests.

The ticker is currently just shy of 175,000 so 87,500 of members would have to write over 60 days expressing no confidence.

The problem here is that Reform is not a party with members with voting rights. It is a limited company where Farage holds the majority of shares. Anyone on here who is a contributor "member" of Reform have any idea of what rights they have as a result of their £25 ?

I fear he’s a disrupter, a narcissistic disrupter

Iam64

I fear he’s a disrupter, a narcissistic disrupter

I agree and I think the labour party are right to ignore his jibes.

He is playing people against each other, and both sides against the middle. Standard Machiavellian tactics for would-be dictators. Accusing others of the dirty-works actions you are using yourself, and polishing up your own halo by calling your competitors out and claiming that you are defending the rights of the helpless is another.

Farage has got what he deserves for toadying to Musk.

Iam64

I wonder what his end game is? Whatever else Musk is, he’s got a level of Machiavellian intelligence. World domination as in Bond villan?

Lots of extreme comments here, Musks objective is the next challenge much like any other entrepreneur, only on a much larger scale. His aim is efficency, PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX , then Twitter probably a mistake, but there has been nothing malicious in his agenda, he made his money doing things better than others.

I understand others are jealous of his success and the Guardian will get more plaudits for having an anti Musk agenda. I don’t look forward to Musk helping Reform because that could easily result reform holding the balance of power in the UK

There is a saying: "When thieves fall out honest men come by their own."

The fall-out could be interesting. Who will Musk attack next?

David49

Iam64

I wonder what his end game is? Whatever else Musk is, he’s got a level of Machiavellian intelligence. World domination as in Bond villan?

Lots of extreme comments here, Musks objective is the next challenge much like any other entrepreneur, only on a much larger scale. His aim is efficency, PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX , then Twitter probably a mistake, but there has been nothing malicious in his agenda, he made his money doing things better than others.

I understand others are jealous of his success and the Guardian will get more plaudits for having an anti Musk agenda. I don’t look forward to Musk helping Reform because that could easily result reform holding the balance of power in the UK

That is a bit simplistic I think. You haven’t factored in the political element of his activities, which is what iam64 is talking about.

Lots of extreme comments here
but there has been nothing malicious in his agenda

You're a Musk fan then, David49?
What do you think of his rather extreme views?

David49

Iam64

I wonder what his end game is? Whatever else Musk is, he’s got a level of Machiavellian intelligence. World domination as in Bond villan?

Lots of extreme comments here, Musks objective is the next challenge much like any other entrepreneur, only on a much larger scale. His aim is efficency, PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX , then Twitter probably a mistake, but there has been nothing malicious in his agenda, he made his money doing things better than others.

I understand others are jealous of his success and the Guardian will get more plaudits for having an anti Musk agenda. I don’t look forward to Musk helping Reform because that could easily result reform holding the balance of power in the UK

From Musk's perspective, buying Twitter was not a mistake. It's given him control of a platform, which reaches millions, for his views (and rants).

HPQ. In September, ahead of Reform's conference, NF was making a lot of noise about "surrendering" his shares:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd6q0j8pdj4o

There is no evidence yet in Companies House records that he has done so.

Last year, the company was technically insolvent owing Tice over a million pounds. We know that in summer he was repaid £200,000 after NF had parachuted back in to stand in the GE. Sources say the £200,000 was a sweetener for Tice to step aside as leader. Where did the money come from? Coincidentally, Zia Yusuf had donated £200,000 so maybe that was the source. But he's still owed over £800,000.

I can't see anything in the new constitution that gives "members" much in the way of rights other than if 50% were to vote no confidence in the leader.

I see the membership drive more akin to crowdfunding possibly to raise the money to repay the debt to Tice because that debt must give him a good amount of leverage.