Is this the end to the ‘bromance’ between Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk?

In a few years crowded with surreal political moments, the meeting between prime minister Rishi Sunak and tech multi-billionaire and Twitter/X boss, Elon Musk, at the AI Safety Summit in London last November was right up there.

It wasn’t so much a serious encounter between the UK leader and a global entrepreneur as a love-in. And the adoration was mostly one way.

In the gold-decorated room at Lancaster House, favoured by former premiers for some of their most historic announcements – Theresa May used it for her landmark Brexit speech – the pair were joined by an audience of cabinet members, tech figures (and inexplicably, the US rapper will.i.am).

Such was the sugary aftertaste created from Sunak’s fawning delivery and “questions” that verged on declarations of worship (“You’re known for being such a brilliant innovator and technologist”, was the prefix to one) that there was little doubt: the entire event appeared like a job application from the soon-to-be-out-of-work prime minister.

Really, it was embarrassing. There was a war going on in Ukraine, China was threatening Taiwan, the world was getting hotter, and the poverty gap in the UK was getting wider – these and much more, could, and should have been occupying his thoughts and time. Instead, we were treated to the sight of the most powerful person in the land reduced to the role of fawning prompter and ego-massager.

“It’s been a huge privilege and pleasure to have you here,” the prime minister told Musk as they left the stage.

Well, if it was designed as securing some sort of rehabilitation for Sunak, post-ejection from No 10, it’s backfired now. He remains kingpin of the Conservative Party – until a replacement is appointed. Meanwhile, his hero is turning into a very public villain where the British government is concerned – suggesting “civil war is inevitable” following the riots and then going even further.

In response to a Keir Starmer tweet with a video of his comments stating his government will not tolerate attacks on “mosques or Muslim communities”, Musk replied: “Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on all communities?”

Musk had previously infuriated the authorities by reinstating the Twitter/X accounts of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

It’s become personal, with Musk using the hashtag “two-tier Keir” in reference to right-wing criticism of alleged two-tier policing.

It’s hard to know what is in Musk’s head. He loves playing the mercurial, unpredictable prophet. He also defends with a passion the right to free speech. Possibly, he feels he must fight back at whatever the Labour government is planning with the Online Safety Bill to curb Twitter/X and other social media.

Noticeably, he has become more voluble in the US against the Joe Biden administration as a similar threat looms. He has also endorsed Donald Trump.

There’s a sense, though, of someone who is doing it and saying it because he can; who rather enjoys the notoriety. This is an individual with 193 million followers and a fortune larger than the economy of many countries.

He knows, too, that they need him. Not for Twitter/X, but for Tesla and his other tech and AI projects. They would love his investment in factories, laboratories and jobs. That was where Sunak, officially, was coming from. Is Musk bigger than Starmer, than the UK? Possibly, he thinks he is. The battle lines are drawn.

As for his would-be disciple, Sunak has gone strangely silent. Ah well, there is always Bill Gates to try.