Reform UK leader Nigel Farage meets X owner amid party donation speculation
The MP for Clacton has been in Florida with Elon Musk
Reform UK leader and Clcton MP, Nigel Farage, has met with Elon Musk and JD Vance, amid speculation the tech billionaire could make a donation to the party.
Mr Farage described his hour-long meeting with Mr Musk at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday as "great" and "historic", saying he and party treasurer Nick Candy had "learned a great deal about the Trump ground game".
He said the men would have "ongoing discussions on other areas", adding: "We only have one more chance left to save the West and we can do great things together."
The meeting follows newspaper reports, dismissed by Mr Farage, that X owner Mr Musk was preparing to donate up to 100 million dollars (£79 million) to Reform UK.
Mr Farage has previously criticised American political figures for getting involved in British politics, saying then-president Barack Obama had "behaved disgracefully" by suggesting the UK would be "at the back of the queue" for a US trade deal if it voted for Brexit.
He has repeatedly insisted he knows nothing about a potential contribution to Reform from Mr Musk, but said the party would take the money if it were offered.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was a "matter for the rules" when asked if a potential large donation by Mr Musk to a UK party would worry Sir Keir Starmer.
He added: "There are already existing rules on foreign donations, but the Government has committed to, you know, to strengthening the rules."
The Reform UK leader said his meeting with Mr Vance on Monday was "great".
"He is a friend of mine and I have known him for 14 years - Kemi Badenoch has known him for 14 days," he said.
Mr Farage has previously suggested he could be a bridge between Sir Keir and Mr Trump due to his friendship with the US president-elect.
He said: "I have always said I will help this Government with contacts. It isn't just President Trump and the incoming Vice President, but I have known large numbers of the cabinet for many years.
"I will always do what is in the national interest and renewing our strong ties with America after four years of Joe Biden can only be a good thing for our country."
Mr Musk is reported to have spent more than 250 million dollars (£197 million) to support Mr Trump's re-election campaign, focused on increasing turnout in key states.
He has since been named as one of the two heads of a new cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency in the incoming Trump administration.
The visit is at least the fourth time Mr Farage has travelled to America since his election as MP for Clacton in July.