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Keir Starmer on X

ended 09. January 2025

With new reports emerging that Elon Musk has been seeking to remove Keir Starmer from office, should the PM even be on X in your view? Elon Musk, X's owner, is hammering him and his government daily but Number 10 and the PM are still on the social media platform, as are many Labour MPs. Any thoughts, send them across. 

6 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Kate Allen
Owner at Finest Stays
The interference from Musk is a troubling example of the growing influence of wealth on politics, echoing an unwelcome Americanisation where the richest can amplify their personal viewpoints. That said, Keir Starmer should continue to use X to communicate his policies and engage with the public. Social media platforms, despite their ownership, serve a purpose in political discourse. Musk’s intelligence and influence don't negate the platform's reach or its value as a tool to inform and connect with the electorate. Starmer should remain focused on his message, using X to cut through the noise rather than be silenced by it.
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Editor
Wes Wilkes
CEO at IronMarket Wealth
An authentic X account for the UK PM would be great but unlike Elon, we know that Starmer doesn't type a single piece of his social media content. Starmer should stay on, but he should do his own posts, which makes it more authentic and would amplify their reach.
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Platinum
Oli Garnett
Co-Founder at Something Familiar.
Elon Musk meddling in UK politics feels like a Black Mirror episode nobody asked for. From labelling Keir Starmer a “tyrannical” leader to polling on whether the US should "liberate" Britain, Musk has traded rockets for rhetoric and it's not exactly subtle. Should the PM stay on X? Well, it depends how much you enjoy being heckled in the digital village square. Musk’s antics, from amplifying fringe movements to hurling incendiary accusations, are hardly the hallmark of impartial stewardship. Starmer and Labour MPs could log off X, but does it really help to vacate the platform when your adversary owns the megaphone? Musk would just fill the void with memes and polls anyway. Ultimately, sticking around shows resolve – and a refusal to let one tech billionaire dictate the terms of debate. Besides, British politics thrives on its fair share of robust discourse. If Musk fancies a role in it, maybe he should stand for Parliament.
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Premium
David Belle
Founder and Trader at Fink Money
Of course they should. They should also not be allowed to turn off replies, as the Mayor of London has done.
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Premium
Debbie Porter
Managing Director at Destination Digital Marketing
Pitching X as right-wing and BlueSky as left-wing, and expecting a migration to one or the other, is daft. Elon Musk is abusing his position and access to resources to go after a range of European governmental targets, including Keir Starmer and, at the other end of the spectrum, Nigel Farage. He is exercising what he oftens cites as the nirvana he is aiming to acheive: freedom of speech. If the platform silences voices distasteful to the opinions of its owner, it will have acheived the opposite of freedom of speech and will instead have just created an echo chamber.
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Richard O'Connor
Director at First Mats
Leaving X could be a mistake for Starmer and the Labour party. With the rise of populism in the UK and across the world, voters need to see them standing up to criticism from business leaders and other individuals, rather than running away from them. Being on X also gives Keir Starmer an opportunity to challenge Musk directly on his comments, especially in situations where what Musk saying isn't true. Leaving X only becomes an option when the majority of politicians from all parties also choose to leave.