The UK’s deputy prime minister has rejected comments made by Donald Trump’s running mate for US vice president that the country, under Labour, might become the first “truly Islamist” nation with nuclear weapons. JD Vance, selected on 2 August, made the comments at last week’s National Conservatism conference in Washington DC. Vance apologised for the remarks on Twitter on Tuesday stating they were “very poorly stated”. The suggestion that Islamists are gaining power in European countries with Muslim minorities is common in some right-wing US political circles.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has spent recent months developing strong relations with Trump’s associates, including Vance. But Vance’s selection could pose a challenge for the new Labour government if Trump is re-elected, as his policies often conflict with the UK’s interests.
Labour sources have pointed to recent signs of diplomacy with Trump, including discussions between Keir Starmer and Trump after the alleged assassination attempt against the former president. Nonetheless, Exchequer Secretary James Murray criticised Vance’s comments on Sky News stating, “I don’t know what he was driving at in that comment, to be honest. I mean, in Britain, we’re very proud of our diversity”. Andrew Bowie, the shadow veterans minister, also disagreed with Vance’s views, stating on Times Radio that he “absolutely” disagreed with the assertion that the Labour Party was creating an “Islamist country
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