Musk, UK govt spar over far-right riots

LONDON: As far-right riots grip England, provocative tech billionaire Elon Musk is posting sympathy for the anti-immigration demonstrators, angering the UK government, which blames social media companies for fuelling the unrest.

The week-long disturbances that have spread to numerous cities are linked to misinformation online that the suspect behind a mass stabbing that killed three girls was a Muslim asylum seeker.

A war of words between X owner Musk and Prime Minister Keir Starmer´s recently elected Labour administration began on Sunday when Musk tweeted that a British “civil war is inevitable”.

Starmer´s spokesperson said on Monday there was “no justification” for the comment, only for Musk to respond with a stream of posts Tuesday questioning the British leader´s response to the riots.

Musk also referenced a dubious claim about policing that has been widely denied by lawmakers from across the political spectrum and police chiefs.