JD Vance warns Britain risks 'losing free speech' as he shares candid moment with David Lammy during UK holiday
JD Vance has warned Britain risks going down a "dark path" during a meeting with David Lammy, who hosted the Vice President during his UK holiday.
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Mr Vance landed with his wife Usha and their three children in London before heading to Chevening, the Foreign Secretary's 17th Century estate in Kent.
Speaking to reporters during a meeting at the retreat, he warned the UK risks going down a "very dark path" of losing free speech, with Mr Vance adding that he has "raised concerns" about the same issue in the US.
The Vice President added that the West is "censoring rather than engaging" with opposing opinions.
"I think the entire collective West, the transatlantic relationship, our NATO allies, certainly the United States under the Biden administration, got a little too comfortable with censoring rather than engaging with a diverse array of opinions. So that's been my view," he said.
Read more: Protesters threaten to disrupt US Vice President JD Vance's summer holiday in the Cotswolds
Mr Vance added: "Obviously, I've raised some criticism, concerns about our friends on this side of the Atlantic.
"But the thing that I'd say to the people of England or anybody else, to David, is [that] many of the things that I worry most about were happening in the United States from 2020 to 2024.
"I just don't want other countries to follow us down what I think was a very dark path under the Biden administration."
He said the UK and US have disagreements about Britain's plan to recognise Palestine but have a shared goal of resolving the crisis in the Middle East.
"We may have some disagreements about how exactly to accomplish that goal, and we'll talk about that today," he told reporters.
Vance also stressed that the US has no plans to recognise a Palestinian state as the UK does, saying he didn't know what recognition meant "given the lack of a functional government there."
The two leaders appeared to hit it off as Mr Lammy recommended Mr Vance take a coastal stroll in Kent.
The vice president professed his "love" for the UK as the pair seemingly bonded.
The pair were pictured smiling together as they shared a candid moment carp fishing in a pond near the country residence.
They are said to have developed a warm friendship in recent months, bonding over their difficult childhoods and shared Christian faith.
Mr Lammy reportedly attended mass at the vice president’s Washington residence during a visit in March, and now plans to repay the favour with the stay at his country home.
It comes as Mr Vance is expected to host senior administration officials at a dinner at his residence on Wednesday ahead of the visit.
During the dinner, Vance is set to discuss topics including the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
