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THERE are fresh calls for the UK Government to take action against Elon Musk after the tech giant warned "violence is coming" to the UK.
The Tesla and X boss, speaking to Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom protest in London on Saturday, called for a “dissolution of parliament” and fresh elections to kick out Labour and told the crowd they will have to “fight back or die” if they want to defend their country.
LibDem leader Ed Davey – among others – is urging ministers to take action, including that Tesla should be blocked from receiving any contracts from the UK Government.
Downing Street accused Elon Musk of using “dangerous and inflammatory” language but announced nothing more of substance.
Of course, it was not the first time Musk has waded into British politics, having started a war of words with the UK Government over the grooming gangs scandal.
He has also spread misinformation about Scotland, most recently following an incident in Dundee where a girl was charged for alleged possession of offensive weapons last month.
Musk shared several posts on X which made claims about the incident, including the migrant status of the people allegedly confronted.
Far-right activist Robinson, who was previously sentenced for contempt of court, also shared posts making claims around the incident, some of which were shared by Musk.
It led to a strong statement from John Swinney, who said the world’s richest man was trying to “undermine” the social “cohesion” in Scottish communities, which he said was “totally and utterly unacceptable”.
He condemned the “deliberate disinformation” he said was being used to “stoke up fear and alarm” around the country.
As far back as January this year, which feels a lifetime ago, the First Minister suggested the Scottish Government may reevaluate the use of X in the future.
Asked about it, the First Minister said: “I’ll keep considering this, because it’s certainly not my last word on the subject.
“I want to make sure I use all channels to communicate with the public, but I’ve got to be satisfied that those channels are appropriate for me and for my government.
“While I’m still using X just now, I will further consider the issues that are raised by members of the public about the appropriateness of that as a communications channel.”
The SNP-led Renfrewshire Council announced that month it would be ditching X, sharing statements and service updates on the fledgling platform BlueSky instead. Several others have since followed.
Trade unionists also called for a boycott of X from the Scottish Government – saying the social media platform is dominated by “racists, fascists and conspiracy theorists” in a motion put forward for debate at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) conference in February.
The National understands that the SNP Trade Union Group (TUG) – the party’s largest affiliate body – will discuss tonight whether to push for the Scottish Government to do so.
Although, Simon Barrow, the organisation’s national secretary, won’t be advocating for it himself.
“No doubt Elon Musk‘s latest vile and deplorable comments will reopen the debate about whether it is time to boycott X. We will be among those looking at the issues around this,” he told The National.
“Clearly we need to prioritise safety online and build viable alternatives to social media channels controlled by increasingly malign big tech companies.
“But is it wise to withdraw from channels like X at this critical moment, and effectively allow the far right even greater unchallenged access to influencing millions upon millions of people?”
Barrow added: “The issue ought to be how we can most effectively combat a tide of hate and disinformation with different narratives, real facts and compelling arguments — not how to make ourselves feel purer or less tainted in a polluted environment.”
The National asked the Scottish Government if recent developments have pushed them towards revisiting their X policy.
“The Scottish Government uses a range of social media platforms to increase public awareness and encourage uptake of key policies and these are kept under review,” a spokesperson said.
“We are clear that social media platforms have a duty to tackle any unacceptable material.”
It does beg the question though.
What does Elon Musk have to do for the UK and/or Scottish Governments to take stronger action?
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