What’s next?

Some remain optimistic about the possibility of Britain engaging with Trump and his team, despite their feud with Musk.

Ciaran Martin, former head of the UK’s National Cyber ​​Security Center and a professor at the University of Oxford, said the British government needed to distinguish between “signals and noise” in its approach to Trump, suggesting that many of his allies’ more extreme statements were in that direction. “It should be considered as noise.”

He added: “I’m sure there will be lots of fun discussions, but I’m not sure how much I foresee the real challenges.”

Josh Simons, a Labor MP on the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, dismissed the suggestion that Britain should be friendlier to Musk, calling him “a giant distraction to how we use data to deliver and rebuild trust for working people” defined. in politics.”

Peter Westmacott, the former British ambassador to the US, said there should be no obstacle to establishing a relationship with Musk and advised that British diplomacy “will now need to include relationships with people who are close to the next president and have his ear”. .”

key player

While Labor may have been encouraged by Musk’s approval of a strictly domestic job at the productivity commission, his role is certain to extend beyond his official position.