Elon Musk wades into debate on Keir Starmer’s future with just one word

X/Twitter owner and former Trump aide Elon Musk has waded into UK politics many times before – from claiming “civil war in Britain is inevitable” to clashing with the government over the Grok ‘undressing’ scandal – and now, as Sir Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to resign, the tech billionaire has added his voice to those calling on the Labour leader to go.

As a reminder, the difficult situation facing Starmer at the moment stems from his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, after Epstein files released late last month appeared to show a lengthy and wide-ranging relationship between Mandelson and the convicted paedophile.

In a statement released on 2 February, Mandelson said: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

“Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me. While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.”

Starmer addressed the scandal at a press conference in Hastings on Thursday, in which he apologised to Epstein’s victims and said he was sorry for “having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him”.

After explaining that Mandelson was “asked directly” about the nature of his relationship with Epstein, whether he had stayed with the paedophile after his conviction, and whether he had accepted gifts from him, Starmer said: “The information now available makes clear that the answers [Mandelson] gave were lies.

“He portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew. And when that became clear and it was not true, I sacked him.

“Such deceit is incompatible with public service.”

The scandal has since spilled over into this week, after Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned on Sunday and his communications chief Tim Allan resigned on Monday to make way for a “new No 10 team”.

Not long after Allan’s resignation, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar gave a press conference in which he said “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change”.

As for Musk, his call for Starmer’s resignation came in response to comments made by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who tweeted: “Add Keir Starmer’s newfound concern for victims of Peter Mandelson’s bestie to his backflip on whether women can have penises and his U-turn on the Rotherham grooming gangs enquiry.

“Starmer is indifferent to harm done to girls and women unless it threatens his career. #StarmerOut.”

Ever succinct, Musk quote tweeted a tweet citing Rowling’s remarks and simply added: “Yes.”

While Starmer has not addressed Musk’s call for him to go specifically, in response to Sarwar, Downing Street said: “Keir Starmer is one of only four Labour leaders ever to have won a general election.

“He has a clear five-year mandate from the British people to deliver change, and that is what he will do.”

Why not read…?

• Here's 16 of Elon Musk's biggest controversies
• Musk undermines ‘fascist’ UK Government criticism with past tweet

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