Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has warned that Elon Musk’s Tesla should have its application to supply energy to the UK blocked. Last month, Tesla applied to Ofgem for a licence to supply gas and electricity to homes in the UK. However, Davey has written to secretary of state for energy, Ed Miliband, to block the company on security grounds.
In the letter, Davey wrote to ensure that “vital infrastructure” is not:
handed over to an individual who poses a threat to our national security.
Musk trying to venture into UK energy
Davey continued that allowing Tesla (and therefore Musk) to sell UK energy directly to households would be:
a gravely concerning move considering Elon Musk’s repeated interference in UK politics.
Namely:
During the Southport riots of 2024, Musk described civil war in the UK as “inevitable.” Nearly 10 million people viewed the post. He peddled misinformation and accused the Prime Minister of being complicit in mass rapes.
And, in a direct blow to Musk’s integrity – such as it is – Davey pointed out:
Elon Musk’s tweets are already being examined by the Uk’s counter-extremism unit as a potential risk to the UK’s national security.
Davey also called attention to Musk’s constant attraction to power:
Musk has repeatedly demonstrated his recklessness when in control of critical infrastructure…I have been deeply concerned by these reports that sufficient power and influence can apparently buy Musk’s provision – or withdrawal – of critical utilities. I hope that you share my worry at the prospect of placing British electricity supply in the hands of such a susceptible individual.
Musk’s connections to Vladimir Putin, his troubled relationship with Donald Trump, and interference in the invasion of Ukraine, according to Davey, make him:
a security, as well as a diplomatic, disaster.
Intervention
Ofgem are still considering whether or not to grant Tesla the licence it’s requested, so as to effectively give Musk access to UK energy. However, more than 8000 people have written to them urging them to turn down the American company. If the licence is granted, Tesla could well be amongst the likes of British Gas and Octopus as early as 2026.
Davey made it clear that the government have a stark choice on their hands:
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.
It remains to be seen what Ofgem will do, but one thing is clear: this Labour government can’t be trusted to put the people of Britain first. Advocacy groups like We Own It actually have a vision that doesn’t betray the public. According to a 2024 YouGov poll, 71% of people want energy to be publicly owned.
We Own It explain that whilst the UK has the natural resources to cheaply and effectively keep households running, privatised distribution companies are causing bills to skyrocket. We Own It write that:
Shareholders from around the world profit from these monopolies. For example, if you’re in the North East, your electricity is delivered to your home by Northern Powergrid. This company is owned by American conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, which is owned by US billionaire Warren Buffett.
Four out of the five biggest energy suppliers in Britain are on the stock exchange. This means that:
Shareholders around the world profit from our energy system and our outrageous bills.
Introducing the likes of Musk and Tesla into the conversation will take the public even further away from bills ever being fair and affordable.
Featured image via YouTube screenshot/DW News
This post was originally published on Canary.