Elon Musk’s company, Tesla, should have its application to supply energy to UK homes blocked on national security grounds, Ed Davey has told ministers.
The Liberal Democrat leader argued that giving the electric car manufacturer a foothold in the British energy market would be “a gravely concerning move considering Elon Musk’s repeated interference in UK politics”.
Tesla has a clean energy arm and applied in July for a licence to supply power to British homes.
If the licence is granted by the regulator, Ofgem, the US company could be competing with big UK domestic energy suppliers such as British Gas and Octopus as soon as next year.
In a letter to the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, Sir Ed cited comments by Musk on social media appearing to encourage violent riots in the UK last summer, and accused the Tesla CEO of “peddling misinformation to millions”.
Musk, in a series of posts after last summer’s riots that followed the deadly mass stabbing in Southport, wrote that “civil war is inevitable” in the UK, which he labelled a “tyrannical police state”.
He has expressed sympathy with the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The Daily Mirror reported in January that the Home Office’s homeland security group was monitoring social media posts by Musk as a possible security risk.
Davey cited reports that Musk had been in regular contact with Vladimir Putin and wrote that the billionaire had “repeatedly demonstrated his recklessness when in control of critical infrastructure” through his management of the Starlink satellite service.
Reuters reported earlier this summer that Musk had ordered Starlink to cut internet coverage in parts of Ukraine during a crucial counteroffensive during the early stages of the Russian invasion. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2024 that Musk had been in regular contact with Putin over the previous two years.
Davey said that allowing Tesla into the British energy market would be “a security, as well as a diplomatic, disaster” and urged ministers to examine the application using national security laws.
Friday 22 August is the deadline for Ofgem to consider feedback on the application before it decides whether to grant the licence. More than 8,000 people have written to the regulator to object after a campaign by Best for Britain.
Sales of Tesla cars have plummeted in Europe amid a backlash over Musk’s support for hard-right politicians across the continent and growing competition from rival electric vehicle makers, including China’s BYD.
Tesla Europe and Ofgem were contacted for comment. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment.
Davey said in a statement: “Elon Musk has shown time and time again he’s no friend of the UK – whether it’s claiming that civil war here is inevitable or peddling misinformation to millions. I am seriously concerned that allowing Musk to supply energy to British homes would pose a risk to our national security.
“The energy secretary should put the national interest first and use his powers to block this licence. Failure to do so would suggest the government is more worried about upsetting Elon Musk than standing up for Britain.”