Adrian Smith

Responding to concerns from fellows about Musk’s political views, Sir Smith says in an email that the leadership of The Royal Society, which inducted Musk as a fellow in 2018, will meet to discuss his status on October 1.

You will all be aware that political polarisation and its accompanying rhetoric are increasing in Western democracie. I am sure that many of you will share my concern at the events of the last week and the growing tendency to resort to the language of violence in pursuit of political programmes that are founded upon narratives of division and simplistic stereotypes of political opponents – including, unfortunately, an address to the recent London rally from a Fellow of the Royal Society.