UK Open to Tesla Investment Despite Musk Controversy

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stated that Tesla, led by Elon Musk, would be welcome to invest in the UK, despite recent controversies surrounding the tech magnate.

Investment Summit Controversy

Reports from the BBC suggested that Musk had not been invited to the UK’s upcoming International Investment Summit due to his controversial social media posts during last month’s riots. However, Starmer clarified his position:

“Obviously, I encourage investment from anywhere,” he told the BBC. “Good investment into the UK is what I’m very, very keen to promote.”

Starmer’s Push for Investment

Speaking to journalists during his recent visit to New York, where he addressed the United Nations and met with Donald Trump and US business leaders, Starmer emphasized his commitment to attracting foreign investment:

“Every time I’m abroad, every time on an international trip, we do these investment breakfasts, because I’m absolutely determined to get the investment that we needed into the economy. And I do think we’ve got a real opportunity with a new chapter now,” he said.

Summit Expectations and Previous Engagements

The upcoming summit is viewed as a crucial opportunity for the prime minister to secure significant inward funding from global investors. While Musk did not attend last year’s event despite being invited, he played a prominent role in November’s artificial intelligence (AI) Summit, engaging in a fireside chat with then-prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Opposition Response

Jeremy Hunt, the former Conservative chancellor and current shadow chancellor, expressed disappointment at Musk’s apparent exclusion from the summit:

“He told me last year he was planning a new car plant in Europe and had not decided where but the UK was a candidate,” Hunt claimed.

Musk’s Reaction and Controversial Posts

Musk responded strongly to reports of his non-invitation on social media platform X (formerly Twitter):

“I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted pedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts,” Musk claimed.

During the August riots in the UK, Musk made several controversial posts, including predictions of civil war and attacks on the prime minister. He also shared and later deleted a conspiracy theory about the UK building “detainment camps” on the Falkland Islands for rioters.

UK ministers at the time described his comments as “totally unjustifiable” and “pretty deplorable”.