Well, that didn’t last long. Just 19 days after Nigel Farage and Elon Musk were snapped beaming together at Mar-a-Lago, the bromance is already over. Sad! It seems that the Tesla billionaire didn’t take too kindly to Farage’s (mild) rebuke of his call to release Tommy Robinson from prison. Just hours after Farage praised Musk on the BBC, the latter took to – where else? – X to declare the end of their short-lived friendship. ‘The Reform Party needs a new leader’, Musk declared. ‘Farage doesn’t have what it takes’. So much for loyalty eh?
At present, it looks like Musk is out on his own on this one. None of the four other Reform MPs in parliament have echoed the call for Farage to quit, with supportive voices in the media quick to back his decision to distance the party from Robinson. Still, in the unlikely event that a putsch did take place, Mr S has gathered up all the likely runners and riders – and given them odds too:
Rupert Lowe – 2/1
The darling of the grassroots, the Hon. Member for Great Yarmouth appears to still be in favour with the world’s richest man, with Musk approvingly sharing his posts. Lowe has developed a cult following among the Reform grassroots with his speeches quoting Ancient Greek philosophers often receiving standing ovations. Musk says he is yet to meet Lowe but he speaks ‘a lot of sense’.
Richard Tice – 3/1
Another Reform MP whom Musk is still willing to trumpet. Previously served as leader from 2021 to 2024 and has taken to parliament with aplomb. Given he was leader before Farage came along, Tice may have unfinished business.
Gawain Towler – 14/1
Former head of communications for Ukip, the Brexit party and then Reform UK. Towler is now often on the airwaves talking up his former employee. The comms king over the water, so to speak. Perhaps Farage could hold off Towler’s advances with talk of a peerage.
Zia Yusuf – 5/2
Party chairman since July, he impressed in the election campaign with a passionate speech at the Birmingham NEC. Loves a tweet almost as much as Elon. Yusuf is viewed as one of the party’s rising stars even if he is currently unelected.
Rael Braverman – 33/1
The husband of Suella Braverman made headlines before Christmas when he came out for Reform even though his partner is (for now at least) a true blue. A new convert to cause, could he be the man to win Musk’s favour?
Suella Braverman – 66/1
The ex-Home Secretary has tried, and failed, to become leader of the Tories twice. Might she have more luck with Reform? Some of her constituents have begged Braverman to make the jump.
Robert Jenrick – 50/1
His cover picture on X still has pictures of the ‘Jenrick for leader’ campaign. The Shadow Justice Secretary could just be in the wrong party…
Matt Goodwin – 20/1
The GB News presenter wrote the book on right-wing populists. He now runs a popular Substack along with a presenting gig on GB News. As leader, he could put all the theories into practice.
Lee Anderson – 15/2
In every leadership contest there is a loyalist candidate – the contender who wins support from the old guard for remaining loyal to the departed leader. Given Anderson has voiced his support for Farage already and he has a strong grassroots following, could the Labour/Tory/Reform defector be the right man for the job?
Tommy Robinson – 1000/1
If Musk puts his millions behind him, who knows…?
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