Ed Davey Is Wary That Leaving Elon Musk's X Could Let Opponents "Dominate" Platform
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey speaking at Impact Hub, north west London
5 min read
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has said he would not rule out leaving Elon Musk's social media website X, but stressed that he did not want opponents to "dominate a particular platform".
"It [quitting X] is always possible in the future. I wouldn't completely rule it out," Davey said.
"But it's quite important that people understand our views, and if that's where they're getting their information from, you've got to be there."
In a speech about foreign affairs on Thursday, the leader of the Liberal Democrats also urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to pursue close trade ties with the European Union.
Davey also suggested that the government should bribe incoming US president Donald Trump to support Ukraine's resistance against Russia in exchange for a banquet with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
The Lib Dem leader spoke about UK relations with Europe and the US just days before president-elect Trump's inauguration on Monday.
Davey has been a vocal critic of Musk, the billionaire owner of X, the website formerly known as Twitter, over remarks he has made about British politics in recent weeks. Musk is a key Trump ally who is set to run the incoming US administration's new efficiency department.
Earlier this month, Davey said that he'd had enough of Musk interfering with Britain's democracy after the businessman said that the US should “liberate the people of Britain” and overthrow the UK government.
“This dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric is further proof that the UK can’t rely on the Trump administration, and it’s in our national interest to rebuild trade and security ties with our allies in Europe,” Davey posted on X.
Davey recently opened an account on Bluesky, a social media platform that has surged in popularity in recent months.
However, the Lib Dem not leader has not gone as far as MPs who have quit X altogether in response to Musk's remarks about British politics.
Musk recently caused outrage in the UK when he called minister Jess Phillips a "rape genocide apologist" after she ruled out a new national inquiry into the grooming gang scandal. The remarks prompted Starmer, who himself has been repeatedly attacked online by Musk, to say a “line has been crossed".
Responding to a question from PoliticsHome on why he and his party had decided to stay on X, despite Musk's "dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric", he said: "The only reason why we're still on there is we want to make sure that people can hear what we say, particularly when it's calling out Elon Musk, and that's how he heard about us calling him out.
"He gave some insults, and I'm big enough to take those insults and I've not been too positive about Donald Trump today, so that's politics," he said.
Davey said that the "serious question" was how people like Musk can be held to account.
"We in our democracy, in other democracies, and I believe in the US, need to put our minds to that, because what liberalism is about is empowering people without power... it's holding the really powerful to account, be they in the media, the social media, wherever they may be."
Pushed on whether he would consider leaving X, Davey said: "It's always possible in the future.
"I wouldn't completely rule it out, but it's quite important that people understand our views, and if that's where they're getting their information from, you've got to be there."
Davey added that he had recently "graduated" to TikTok, another social media platform on which the leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage has a relatively large following.
The Liberal Democrat leader said that he had received "more positive feedback from young people about what I've done on TikTok than anywhere else".
Davey said that Farage was on TikTok "influencing the minds of our young people today", alongside others such as misogynist influencer Andrew Tate.
"Sometimes you have to go to places where you may not want to be, but you've got to make sure a voice of reason and values is heard. I'm not going to isolate ourselves and allow people like Nigel Farage to dominate a particular platform," he said.
Davey said the Trump administration would be "a threat to peace and prosperity in the UK, across Europe, and around the world" and that "for the next four years, the UK cannot depend on the president of the US to be a reliable partner on security, defence or the economy.
However, he said the UK could not "simply ignore" Trump or the US for the next four years.
When it comes to persuading Trump to continue US support for Ukraine, "the good news is, we have leverage", said Davey.
"We have something Trump desperately wants: a state visit. The pageantry at Buckingham Palace. A banquet with the King.
“We all know he craves it. So I say we give it to him. But only if he delivers what we need first for Britain and Europe’s defence and security.
“And that is this: President Trump must sit down with President Zelenskyy and other European leaders – in a summit convened by the UK.
“To agree on how we collectively use the hundreds of billions of dollars, pounds and Euros of frozen Russian assets to pay for the weapons Ukraine needs to win the war and beat Putin.
“And if Trump delivers on that deal, pushing the necessary measures through Congress. Then, and only then, do we roll out the red carpet for a state visit.”
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