London | American billionaire and Donald Trump confidant Elon Musk has ratcheted up his remarkable foray into UK politics, launching a poll on his social-media platform X that asks users if the US should step in to “liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government”.

The head of that government, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) hit back at Mr Musk without naming him. He said the UK’s debate on so-called “grooming gangs” – an issue that has lately preoccupied the Tesla and SpaceX founder – should not be based on “lies and misinformation”.