Nigel Farage has turned on Elon Musk's X platform, telling reporters in London on Monday 20 April that it is becoming a 'very unpleasant, very dangerous place' after Reform UK's ethnic minority candidates were allegedly hit with abuse ahead of May's elections.
Until recently, theReform UK leaderhad spoken warmly about Musk's takeover of Twitter and its rebrand to X, praising the move as a win for free speech. But that relationship appears to have deteriorated since a public clash over Farage's support for Tommy Robinson, after which Musk suggested Farage should be replaced and later backed Rupert Lowe's breakaway party, Restore Britain.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Farage focused not on attacks against himself, but on what he said was the treatment of his party's minority candidates. The timing was notable, with Reform hoping to make gains in elections across Scotland, Wales and English councils in May.
'The online abuse on X that our minority candidates are receiving is utterly appalling in every way,' he told journalists. He argued that if candidates from older, more established parties were subjected to the same level of abuse, the response from the media and political class would be far louder.
He pushed the point further.'It really, really is bad. X is now becoming a very unpleasant, very dangerous place.'
🚨NIGEL FARAGE SAYS "X IS BECOMING A DANGEROUS PLACE"> Nigel says he's making a British Patriotic party> Nigel stands loads of migrants as candidates> People on X point out he's betrayed everyone> Nigel cries to the lefty media asking them for helpAbsolutely patheticpic.twitter.com/4cd9j6W9uo
For a politician who has long championed robust online speech and railed against censorship, the language marks a sharp change in tone. Farage has spent years condemning what he saw as overreach by social media companies. Now, with his own candidates in the firing line, he is accusing the platform he once praised of fostering something darker.
Farage also said the number of ethnic minority candidates Reform is fielding at these elections is 'quite remarkable'. The remark appeared designed to answer critics who have longaccused the party of racism or xenophobia, while also underlining his claim that those same candidates are now being targeted online.
The rupture between Farage and Musk did not appear overnight. When Musk bought Twitter in 2022, rebranded it as X and restored a string of controversial accounts, he won support from figures on the populist right, including Farage, who saw him as an ally in the fight against moderation and platform restrictions.
For a time, the relationship seemed useful to both men. Musk gained backing from a prominent British political figure, while Farage benefited from the approval of one of the world's most influential tech billionaires. There was even speculation that Musk could support Reform financially.
Source: International Business Times UK
