The ongoing war of words between Sir Keir Starmer and Elon Musk just got a hilarious twist thanks to Ian Hislop. The Have I Got News for You panelist and editor of Private Eye took to Andrew Marr’s LBC show to tear into the tech billionaire’s antics, and people are loving it.
It all started when Musk took aim at the UK government for not supporting an inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. Starmer hit back, accusing Musk of spreading lies after he launched an angry social media tirade. Musk didn’t hold back, even going so far as to call Home Office Minister Jess Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and claiming she “deserves to be in prison.”
That’s when Ian Hislop stepped in. With his signature sarcasm and wit, he questioned why Musk was so involved in UK politics. “He’s riddled with contradictions,” Hislop said. “At some point, I’m hoping even his followers will notice he makes no sense.”
Hislop didn’t stop there, pointing out Musk’s hypocrisy: “When Musk pretends to be a champion for women and young girls, and then calls Jess Phillips an ‘evil witch’—how is that not medieval misogyny?”
And it gets even better. Hislop argued that Musk’s wealth gives him far too much power to spread misinformation, making it hard to escape his influence. “It’s impossible to avoid,” he said. “He has enormous power.” Hislop also criticized Musk’s social media platform for encouraging conspiracy theories, adding, “It’s an amazing feat of deception.”
The real kicker? Hislop took a jab at Musk’s past behavior when he called British diver Vernon Unsworth a “paedophile” after Unsworth helped rescue a Thai soccer team from a cave in 2018. “I think from then on, he thought, ‘I can say anything I like, and no one will stop me,’” Hislop quipped. “It’s better if it’s not true!”
The interview clip quickly went viral—on Musk’s own social media site, no less! Fans were quick to praise Hislop for his brutal honesty, with one saying he “hit the nail firmly on the head” and another calling it a perfect summary of everything wrong with Musk’s behavior.
Hislop’s comments come amid a storm of controversy surrounding Reform MPs like Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson, who’ve been accused of profiting from the spread of “hateful rhetoric” on Musk’s platform. These MPs have recently reported payments from Musk’s ‘Creator’ revenue program, which allows users to monetize their accounts based on followers.
With Musk’s influence over social media growing, it’s clear that Hislop isn’t the only one who thinks it’s time to take a stand. His honest critique has sparked a much-needed conversation about the dangers of misinformation and the power of big tech.
What do you think? Do Hislop’s words hit the mark? Let us know in the comments!
