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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed it could be “counterproductive” if Nigel Farage accepted a large donation from Elon Musk, saying “people don’t necessarily like to see politics being bought”.
Badenochcriticized by some Conservatives for her quiet start to the job, faces a growing political threat from Farage’s populist Reform UK party. Farage spoke to the tech billionaire about donating to the party.
The Conservative leader said she supports competition, adding: “I think if Elon Musk gives money to one party, to a competing party, then it’s a challenge for me to make sure I get the same amount. »
Nick Candy, the Reform Party’s new treasurer, has promised Britain “political disruption like we’ve never seen before”. telling the Financial Times he brought in several other billionaire backers besides Musk.
Referring to Musk, Badenoch said: “I don’t believe he’s going to give that money, but it doesn’t matter if he does.” »
She added: “Politics in the US is very different from politics in the UK. People in this country don’t necessarily like politics to be bought. I think this would be potentially counterproductive.
Last week, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith urged Musk to take another look at the conservatives before donating to the Reform Party, claiming his party was the most effective opposition to Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor government.
Badenoch became leader of the Conservatives on November 2 and it is now almost six months since the Conservatives lost the general election to Labor, but she has so far refused to outline specific policies to revive her party.
But she insisted it was “a marathon, not a sprint” and urged voters to be patient, saying she had plenty of time to present a detailed policy prospectus before the elections, which must take place by 2029.
However, Badenoch faces an uphill battle in the short term, with the UK Reform Party moving closer to the Conservatives. in recent opinion polls and threatens to make big gains at the Conservatives’ expense in local elections due in May next year.
The Conservative leader accused the Reform Party of offering voters “easy answers” and said he “didn’t think it through.” She told the BBC Today program: “What I would say to people is: Aren’t you sick of people lying to you?
The Conservative leader has outlined broad principles for her party to follow, including a belief in a smaller state, lower taxes and tighter immigration controls.
“I’m thinking and what people will get with new leadership under me is thoughtful conservatism, not knee-jerk analysis,” Badenoch said.
She admitted the Tories had “let people down” on immigration, suggesting the Whitehall machine or official forecasters had persuaded ministers to ease controls.
Net migration exceeded 900,000 in a single year under Conservative rule, according to recent figures. Badenoch called for a cap on the total number but refused to say where that cap should be set.
“I think it’s going well,” Badenoch said of his first weeks as leader of the Conservative Party. “I expected it to be much worse.” She said the party had “demolished the tools of internecine warfare”.
Badenoch added: “Seeing a Labor government reminds everyone who the real opponent is. »
