UK Government Willing to Engage with Elon Musk After Summit Exclusion
The UK's Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, has hinted that Elon Musk was not included in the government's international investment summit guest list due to his history of avoiding such events. This comes after reports that Musk, the owner of X and Tesla, was left off the guest list following his controversial social media comments about Britain's summer riots, where he claimed a civil war was "inevitable."
Musk had responded to the exclusion by stating that he didn't think anyone should go to the UK, criticizing the country's decision to release convicted pedophiles while imprisoning people for social media posts.
UK Government Ready to Engage with Musk
In a recent interview with Times Radio, Kyle expressed his readiness to engage with Musk, despite the latter's absence from past investment summits. He stated, "Elon Musk has never come to any of the past investment summits that have been held under the previous government, he doesn’t tend to do these sort of events, but I stand absolutely ready to engage with him, to talk about any potential global investments he’s making – I’m not aware of any at this moment in time."
Kyle also mentioned that the government maintains good relations with some of Musk's companies and commended him on the successful landing of his booster rocket.
Denial of Exclusion Due to Controversial Comment
During an appearance on Sky News, Kyle denied that Musk's exclusion from the summit was due to his derogatory comment about the prime minister.
The international investment summit, which is currently underway, will feature Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledging to cut red tape that is obstructing investment in the UK. Macquarie, an Australian infrastructure giant, is anticipated to announce £20bn in new investment in the UK, and total pledges from businesses at the summit could reach as high as £50bn.
Prominent speakers at the event include Blackrock boss Larry Fink, former Google chairman Eric Schmidt, ex-England manager Gareth Southgate, and Aviva chief Amanda Blanc.
X has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Bottom Line
The UK government's willingness to engage with Elon Musk, despite his controversial comments and absence from past summits, demonstrates a commitment to fostering global investment. It raises the question of how this potential engagement could influence future investment decisions and the overall business landscape. What are your thoughts on this development? Share this article with your friends and let us know your opinions. Remember, you can sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.
