Referendum - Wikipedia, a.k.a. plebiscite, ballot measure.
Plenty:
The UK is not a republic, nor are Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the other Commonwealth realms, who share the monarch as their head of state. In 1949, the Commonwealth recognised that republics could be full members, rather than only the monarchical states.
Moderating:
You started this tired old “debate” so I’m singling you out. Take the “republic v. democracy” discussion elsewhere. This thread is about Elon Musk using his wealth to threaten the careers of politicians, and you have completely hijacked it into a non-relevant discussion.
Apologies. At least I learnt how to post images. 
Yanno, at least in the original theory of the Founders, elected officials serving as the People’s representatives aren’t supposed to make “careers” of it. And certainly not bitterly complain that they’re out of a job if they don’t win an election.
Moderating:
(Emphasis mine.)
I have quoted from the OP of this thread to remind you of the discussion they wanted to have. Your post will take this thread further from the objectives of the OP, so it would also be a hijack to the discussion.
ISTM it’s a “how” as opposed to a “what”. He feels (knows, even) that he is in a position he does not have to keep to the traditional forms and styles of the game.
Let’s take an old fave around these here parts, the NRA, back at the time of its peak power. Like many other lobbying groups they’d publish a yearly scorecard of elected officials as to how well they were sticking to the gun rights line, and everyone understood that was to be an instrument to be used to tell voters they should or not vote for certain people. That was cast in the form of just disseminating information to the public, But you knew that the organization would contribute to campaigns and PACs favoring their friends and opposing their adversaries.
Those on the unfavorable end of the scorecard it would justifiably feel their reelection was “threatened” by having this lobby come up against them. But it was an accepted part of the game.
A corporate entity can use its own resources pretty much unlimitedly to propagandize against against an issue or candidate as long as they don’t directly integrate with some other candidate’s campaign. So why would a human individual not be able to do the same.
That this is one individual making a demand not for a specific issue position nor couched in terms of “we’ll expose you to the voters”, but straight out “rubberstamp what my little cabal wants, or else”, would not seem to trigger a violation of anything other than good taste/manners. He is not demanding anything illegal nor threatening to do anything itself illegal (ostensibly).
As was mentioned before, the problem we should have seen coming long ago but refused to preempt was that of specific individuals coming to have have many times the resources of ANY previously conceived lobbying organization or SuperPAC, so wealthy that whatever fines are set in law can be dismissed as petty expenses, and who can use such resources unfettered by any board of directors, regulator or other external brake…
He could have stated more elegantly how he’d go in with his funds in 2026 but only for candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, who supported the full Trump agenda unreservedly. But where’s the fun in a veiled threat when you can make one directly.
( Up to relatively recently the risk of the rise of the billionairchy in America had been muffled by many of its top public faces for a generation being the likes of Gates or Buffett, people who had been brought up with a certain standard of how you should behave in public and towards other humans. Musk however is cut from a different cloth.)
off-topic reply hidden
Cite please? Yes the NRA spent a hell of a lot of money on lobbying, but if they actually funded political campaigns it’s news to me. I would have thought that would endanger the organization’s tax status.
Moderating:
As you don’t know how to stay on topic even after a prior modnote to do so, this is both a thread ban and a warning for you. Ah, Merry Xmas, no warning at least. But the Thread Ban stands.
Do not post any further in this thread.
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Elon has been getting involved in UK politics a lot recently, and it’s all blowing up wonderfully.
<@mods : I considered making a new thread, but this seemed just about on topic>
Normally of course tweeting is not so significant, but since Musk suggested he might give Reform $100 million, everything he has said has had a massive influence on UK politics and the UK press.
A quick rundown, with translations for those not familiar with UK politics:
- The Reform party is basically British MAGA, though with even more of a focus on (anti-) immigration. While they have significant popular support, due to our voting system they only have 5 parliamentary seats out of the country’s total of 650.
- There’s extensive reporting of Musk suggesting he would donate $100 million to Reform. Of course members of Reform scramble to say what a wonderful man Musk is.
- Musk then tweets that Tommy Robinson should be released from prison. Tommy robinson is a neo-nazi and a hooligan, at the forefront of recent violent riots. Reform members then tie themselves up in knots in interviews, because they cannot openly support Robinson, but they know that many of their members do, so they can’t denounce him either. He’s basically Voldemort.
- Reform members are delighted though when Musk tweets that there should be an inquiry into grooming gangs in the UK and that the UK’s Prime Minister (who belongs to the left-wing Labour Party) is partly culpable. The idea of this is to a) basically smear the PM as being a rape-enabler and b) resurrect the old, debunked, talking point that Pakistani men are disproportionately involved in these gangs.
- Finally, hilariously, Musk has said that Nigel Farage should step down as Reform’s leader. Farage is basically the UK’s Trump, and the popular support that Reform are currently enjoying will collapse if he steps down. This has been quite a shock to everyone, but it seems that Farage was not extremist enough for Musk, plus Musk has zero idea of UK politics. It must certainly be a shock for Farage, who was praising Musk just hours earlier.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/musk-says-farage-should-step-down-leader-reform-uk-2025-01-05/
Laugh now, while you can.
He’ll get what wants in the end in the UK too.
When I use words like “hilariously” I mean it’s funny watching Reform UK blow up / fragment etc.
I absolutely think that Musk is a massive threat to UK interests, politically and economically.
I was about to post about this, and yeah it’s hilarious.
I mean it’s also effed up, an incompetent fascist knobhead in another country shouldn’t be deciding who gets to lead a democratic party (even one as terrible as the Reform party) purely because they have huge pile of cash. But that’s the world we live in right now 
But mainly it’s just hilarious. Farage abandoned his new constituency and spent every waking hour with his tongue lodged firmly in the butt of every available American MAGAt. And this is what he gets in return. LOL. Seriously, a little bit of light entertainment in these dark times.
Does the UK not have funding rules about who can donate to UK political parties, and how much?
Yes, in theory the limit for a foreign donor is £0. In practice there are many loopholes, and Musk just last month establishing a UK company might be his attempt to steer his star destroyer through such a loophole.
However, IMO one difference between the UK and US is that there’s a need here for discretion. His plan could have worked if he hadn’t been so overt about it (and also drip-fed the money).
Yeah I’m not arguing against this. By rights if the Reform party grandees click their heels and say “yes fuhrer” and replace their leader with some equally reprehensible but Elmo-approved figurehead, it should doom their party. But that’s just not how the world works nowadays 
But still let’s take a moment to appreciate that odius toerag Farage getting screwed over by the very people he’s spent the last few months trying to impress.
Also it’s not clear there are really “Reform party grandees”, in the way normal parties have them, the whole party is actually a private limited company (Farage allegedly gave up ownership of it, but if you believe that I have a bridge I’d like to sell you)
FWIW, as the OP, I am totally fine with this UK update being part of this threat. I’m on team “Tangents are a natural part of conversations” anyway.
In a sane world, millions of people in the US and the UK would be saying “oh, shit. We need to limit the influence of money in politics.”
Sadly, what will happen is that only those opposed to Musk’s pet parties will say that.
And I’m under no delusions that Democrats/Labo[u]r would be just as eager to lick Elon’s boots.
Glad to see you confirm that, but this all felt on topic to me.