Musk's Royal Society fellowship in doubt after London rally remarks

London — Elon Musk's fellowship in the Royal Society isUnder question after his remarks at the Unite the Kingdom rally in London, where critics say his speech used violent rhetoric and framed mass migration as a threat. The world’s oldest scientific academy is re-examining whether the statements align with the Society’s values, with a formal discussion planned at the next council meeting. Musk, a founder of several major technology ventures, was elected a fellow in 2018 for his work in space exploration and electric vehicles, but his continued participation has become increasingly controversial among many scientists and researchers.

Addressing the crowds on Saturday via video link, Musk laid out a harshly worded critique of immigration and national change. He warned that “there’s something beautiful about being British and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration.” He added that the message was directed at “the reasonable centre,” those who “just want to live their lives,” and warned that violence would come to them if the trend continued. “They don’t want that, they’re quiet, they just go about their business. My message is to them: if this continues, that violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice. You’re in a fundamental situation here. Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, that’s the truth, I think.”

The remarks prompted an unprecedented public response from within the Royal Society. In a letter to fellows, Sir Adrian Smith, the Society’s president, expressed concern about “the language of violence” and the threat such rhetoric poses to the organisation’s core values. He said the matter would be discussed at the society’s next council meeting and underscored a long-standing emphasis on tolerance, courtesy, respect for others, and freedom of speech as foundational to both scientific inquiry and public discourse. “It is no accident that human understanding and science have also flourished to an extraordinary extent in this period. Threats to these values are now real,” the letter continued.

The Royal Society’s involvement with Musk has been contentious for years. Musk was first elected a fellow in 2018 for his contributions to space technology and electric vehicles. Earlier this year, a letter signed by thousands of scientists called into question his involvement in funding cuts to US scientific research, citing his role in a government-related capacity during the Trump administration. The Society publicly debated Musk’s fellowship in March, and a majority opted to keep him as a fellow, with some critics arguing that removing him could be seen as a curtailment of freedom of expression. The current discussion marks a renewed push to weigh whether a fellow’s public rhetoric should influence membership in the historic institution.

The question of Musk’s status arrives at a time when the Royal Society has been mindful of long-standing norms governing the conduct of its fellows. If action were taken to remove Musk, it would be a rare moment in the Society’s 250-year history. The reference point often cited is the 1773 ejection of Rudolf Erich Raspe, a German scientist and writer accused of theft and fraud; the incident serves as a historical footnote in debates about accountability and membership. While the Society has mechanisms for addressing breaches of its values, any move to strip a fellowship would be significant and long debated among current fellows and the council.

BBC News contacted Musk for comment via his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, but there was no immediate response. The Society’s leadership has emphasized that any decision would follow due process and be grounded in the organisation’s statutes and values, aiming to balance freedom of expression with the responsibility to uphold rigorous, respectful scientific discourse. In the meantime, scientists and policy observers have urged caution about conflating political rhetoric with scientific credibility, noting that the Royal Society’s mandate centers on advancing scientific understanding and fostering international collaboration.

The unfolding situation underscores the ongoing tensions at the intersection of science, public policy and political communication. As discussions advance, observers will be watching not only Musk’s fellowship status but also how the Royal Society articulates its expectations for fellows’ conduct in public forums. The outcome could set a precedent for how the world’s premier scientific academy navigates questions of accountability while preserving the free exchange of ideas that underpin scientific progress.