It seems the power is with the people, and not Elon Musk or Tesla. This week, campaigners at Best For Britain revealed that over 18,000 people had sent their objections to Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, the Minister for Energy Consumers, in a bid to block the billionaire’s latest venture.
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Powered by Elon Musk? Thousands reject Tesla bid
Tesla’s clean energy branch is looking to rival the big firms in the UK, as it aims to power to households and businesses alike. The company was granted a licence for electricity generation in this country back in 2020, and last month, they applied to become an official supplier.
But, with Tesla, comes a volatile character in Elon Musk. The CEO, and former ‘first buddy’ of President Trump, brings a tremendous amount of baggage with him. Alongside his support for extreme-right causes, the richest man in the world has a personal history with the UK.
Last year, he shared a series of posts containing false information about the Southport Attack and the subsequent riots. He has openly signalled his support for both Tommy Robinson and Rupert Lowe, while also backing Reform to win the next General Election.
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This has culminated in a wide-ranging campaign which encouraged Brits to send messages to Ofgem through the Best for Britain site, expressing their opposition to a Tesla-powered grid. Naomi Smith, who is CEO of the group, revealed that thousands of people have signed up to reject Elon Musk:
“When we look at the things he has done against our own country; he has said that civil war in the UK is inevitable, he repeatedly stoked the riots last year sharing falsified stories and doctored images, and has been supporting Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson’s) legal fees.”
“When he ran DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) in the USA, he also suggested you should ignore all federal regulations and actually called for the wholesale removal of regulations during a call he hosted on X [the platform formerly known as Twitter.” | Naomi Smith
Liberal Democrats demand a block on Tesla ‘power grab’
Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has also joined the cause. He issued a statement on Friday, citing Musk as a ‘security risk’ who must not be allowed access to UK infrastructure. The senior politician has since encouraged Labour to block Tesla’s supply licence.
“Allowing Tesla to sell energy directly to British households and businesses would be a gravely concerning move, considering Elon Musk’s repeated interference in UK politics. He has [spoken about] civil war in this country, and peddled misinformation through his X posts.”
“His Tweets are already being examined by the UK’s counter-extremism unit. We must rule out giving him access to the UK’s critical infrastructure. It would be a security and diplomatic disaster. Labour should put the national interest first, and use their powers to block this licence.” | Ed Davey