Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey today insisted his party believes in free speech, after he used a TV interview to demand the arrest of Elon Musk over his control of X.
Sir Ed branded the billionaire a ‘criminal’ and said Parliament should haul him in to answer for his ‘fight back’ or ‘die’ comments at Tommy Robinson’s anti-migrate march last week.
The Liberal Democrat leader has also called for an Ofcom investigation into X, the social media site owned by Mr Musk, and the businessman personally, for failing to uphold their duties under the Online Safety Act.
Asked if he should be arrested if he visits Britain the party leader told Sky News: ‘Yes.’
It marks the latest step in a feud between the two men, who traded insults on X last week.
After calling for criminal sanctions against Mr Musk, Sir Ed also ‘we’re a party of free speech’, when asked if the Lib Dems shared values of those who attended the Unite the Kingdom rally.
But it came as questions of free speech were raised within his own party, which is holding its annual conference in Bournemouth this weekend.
Yesterday trans-sceptic members were blocked from holding a vote on preventing trans women from filling party roles set aside for women under diversity rules.
Sir Ed told the BBC he was ‘sorry if they are cross’ over what happened but denied involvement.
Sir Ed branded the billionaire a ‘criminal’ and said Parliament should haul him in to answer for his ‘fight back’ or ‘die’ comments at Tommy Robinson’s anti-migrate march last week.
The Liberal Democrat leader has also called for an Ofcom investigation into X, the social media site owned by Mr Musk, and the businessman personally, for failing to uphold their duties under the Online Safety Act.
Sir Ed accused Mr Musk of inciting violence after the incident, with the businessman branding him a ‘craven coward’ in return. The Lib Dem leader then shared a meme image of SpongeBob SquarePants, parroting back the words to Mr Musk in mockery.
Sir Ed is expected to continue his feud with the Tesla and X owner in his speech to the Lib Dems’ conference on Tuesday.
The Lib Dem leader will say Britain ‘must stand up to Elon Musk, and properly enforce our laws so he can’t get away with inflicting harm on our kids’.
Sir Ed accused Mr Musk of inciting violence after the incident, with the businessman branding him a ‘craven coward’ in return.
The Lib Dem leader then shared a meme image of SpongeBob SquarePants, parroting back the words to Mr Musk in mockery.
Asked by Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips if he thought the US businessman was a criminal, the Lib Dem leader replied: ‘Yes.
‘Not just because of the awful things he’s done, inciting violence, for example, he says a civil war in our country is inevitable, that our democratically elected Government should be overthrown.
‘They were bad enough.
‘But on his platform, there are examples of adverts pushing people on self-harm, on grooming, even selling videos showing paedophile acts, child sex abuse acts. I think he should be held to account for them. Him personally and his business.’
Yesterday trans-sceptic Lib Dem activists were blocked from holding a vote on preventing trans women from filling party roles set aside for women under diversity rules.
The pressure group Liberal Voice for Women, led by Dr Zoe Hollowood, had sought to alter the rules to ensure that the quotas simply say that at least 40 per cent of positions should be held by ‘men’ and ‘women’.
After calling for criminal sanctions against Mr Musk, Sir Ed also ‘we’re a party of free speech’, when asked if the Lib Dems shared values of those who attended the Unite the Kingdom rally.
Elsewhere, Sir Ed was told by the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that Lib Dem activists feel shut down and cross as they were halted from debating a ban on trans women holding women’s roles in the party on the first day of the party’s Bournemouth conference.
Under current internal rules on diversity quotas, at least 40 per cent of roles on federal bodies have to go to people who ‘self–identify as men or nonbinary people, and self–identify as women or non–binary people respectively’.
But activists say the rules enshrined in the party constitution mean that biological women could be blocked from places set aside for them by trans women – biological men.
The pressure group Liberal Voice for Women had sought to alter the rules to ensure that the quotas simply say that at least 40 per cent of positions should be held by ‘men’ and ‘women’.
It has commissioned legal advice suggesting that the current diversity rules are in breach of the 2010 Equalities Act, with a KC saying it needs to ‘put its house in order’.
But the conference instead voted to move on to other business without putting it to the test
Sir Ed told Laura Kuenssberg: ‘Well, I’m sorry if they’re cross, but I do think the truth is what I’m saying, that we abide by the law.’
The party had a ‘full debate on LGBT-plus rights, including trans issues’ at a conference earlier in the year, he also said.
But LV4W chair Dr Zoe Hollowood accused the party leadership of being’ out of touch with ordinary members and voters at large’, pointing out that the last debate had been before the summer’s Supreme Court ruling that only biological women are women.
‘It’s time to put our house in order, practice what we preach on equality and the rule of law,’ she told the Mail.
‘Ed failed to show leadership yesterday despite having a golden opportunity to show voters he accepts the Supreme Court ruling.
‘This was his chance to grasp the nettle and demonstrate he cares about women’s representation and the rule of law.
‘Instead he ducked the issue – not even making the liberal argument for allowing a debate.
‘This looks like more delay tactics from our party who remain afraid to stand up to trans activists within the Party.’
