Wednesday, July 17, 2024

'Racist ignorance': Brits clap back after Trump VP pick JD Vance calls UK a 'truly Islamist country'

Tory Co-Chair Sayeeda Warsi said UK-US ties have become 'a racist joke'


THE WEEK UK
Web Desk 
Updated: July 17, 2024 
Republican vice presidential candidate and Ohio Senator JD Vance does a walkthrough on stage during the second day of 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024 | AP/PTI

Donald Trump's running mate Vice-President J.D. Vance has sparked outrage after remarking that the UK under the Labour government is an "Islamist country".

Speaking at a conference for UK Conservatives last week, Vance said he was discussing with a friend which country would be the first "truly Islamist country with nuclear weapons", and answered that, "Maybe it's Iran, maybe Pakistan kind of counts, and then we sort of decided maybe it's actually the UK since Labour just took over".

He went on to add, "To our Tory friends, I have to say, you guys have got to get a handle on this."

This comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy tried to mend ties with Vance in May when he was in the opposition. Vance had even said Lammy was his "English friend".

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner played down the controversy, saying the Ohio senator has made such "fruity" remarks in the past as well.

Tory Co-Chair Sayeeda Warsi wrote in The Independent that the UK-US ties have become nothing more than "a racist joke" and warned of "dangerous times ahead".

Shadow Veterans Minister Andrew Bowie told Times Radio that he "absolutely" disagreed with Vance's claim, adding that it's "actually quite offensive, frankly, to my colleagues in the Labour party." Shadow minister posts are positions held by the Opposition party members in the UK Parliament.

British Treasury Minister James Murray told Sky News that the British are proud of their diversity, adding that "I don't know what he (Vance) was driving at in that comment, to be honest."

Norwich South Labour MP Clive Lewis told The Independent that the comments show that "we now need to prepare for the worst-case scenario of a Trump-Vance presidency."

Canterbury Labour MP Rosie Duffield called Vance's remarks as "pretty ignorant, racist and Islamophobic".


JD Vance's 'Islamist Country' Remark Sparks Outrage In UK, Deputy PM Dismisses 'Fruity' Remark

Speaking at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, Vance cited a conversation with a friend. He stated that the UK is on track to become "the first Islamist country with nuclear weapons", especially under the new Labour government.


Outlook Web Desk
Updated on: 17 July 2024 


Trump VP Pick JD Vance Upsets UK | Photo: AP

A day after former US president Donald Trump announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate, the vice presidential pick has already sparked controversy. His recent statements against the newly elected Labour Government have sparked outrage across the UK.

Speaking at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington last week, Vance cited a conversation with a friend and said that the UK is on track to become "the first Islamist country with nuclear weapons".


What Did Vance Say?

"I was talking about, you know: what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon?” he said. “Maybe it is Iran, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we finally decided that it’s actually the UK – since Labour just took over," Vance was quoted as saying.


"American leaders should look out for Americans... and for the Brits, UK leaders should look out for citizens of the UK or subjects or whatever you guys call yourselves," Vance added further, adding that the Torys in the UK have "got to get a handle on this".

Outrage In The UK

Politicians in the UK have slammed the remarks as "ignorant and racist".

Labour MP Rosie Duffield called the remark an "obviously a pretty ignorant and racist comment” while Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer termed the comment as "Islamophobic."

Even Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage, who is known for favouring Trump and his policies, disagreed with the VP pick's comments.


Russia to 'work with any American leader;' lauds JD Vance Ukraine aid opposition

'We will remain ready to work with any US leader who the US people elect,' says Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Michael Hernandez |17.07.2024 -



WASHINGTON

Russia signaled an openness Wednesday to working with whomever the American people elect in November as the nation heads toward presidential elections.

It also lauded Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance's opposition to further military assistance for Ukraine.

"We will remain ready to work with any US leader who the US people elect, and which the leader will be willing to engage in equitable, mutually respectful dialogue," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in remarks translated from Russian at the UN's New York headquarters.

Russia currently holds the UN Security Council presidency and Lavrov is in the city to chair a pair of Council meetings.

Lavrov further voiced approval to reporters for Vance's opposition to Ukraine aid, saying he is "in favor of peace, in favor of ending the assistance that's been provided, and we can only welcome that, because that's what we need, to stop pumping Ukraine full of weapons, and then the war will end."


Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced Vance as his running mate Monday in a long-awaited announcement that has further raised concerns in Europe about the continuation of American support for Ukraine if the former president secures reelection.

During last week's NATO summit in Washington, allies announced plans to form a new command at a headquarters in Germany led by a three-star general with logistics hubs in eastern flank nations to facilitate the alliance's continued military assistance to Kyiv.

The action to bring the mission under NATO's auspices is being taken in part to insulate the process from potential disruptions that could be caused by Trump's reelection.

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