news

[Global Network Report] According to reports from the British Independent and the US Capitol Hill on July 17, after former US President Trump announced that James David Vance would be his running mate, Vance's remarks against the UK sparked controversy. Vance claimed that Britain led by the Labour Party would be "the first Islamic country to possess nuclear weapons", and the remarks were condemned by British politicians as "anti-Muslim racist remarks".

James David Vance profile picture

According to The Independent, Vance made the controversial remarks in a speech on July 10. He relayed a conversation between him and a friend. He said, "I was talking about which Islamic country was the first to actually have nuclear weapons? We thought, maybe Iran, maybe Pakistan, and then we finally decided that maybe it was actually Britain because the Labour Party took over recently."

Vance reportedly said that a Labour government would make Britain "the first truly Islamic country to acquire nuclear weapons" and "to our (British) Conservative friends, I have to say you have to deal with this issue."

The BBC said Vance's comments about Britain becoming an "Islamic country" were a direct criticism of the British Labour Party's approach to immigration. Right-wing politicians in the United States often link immigration issues with the rise of Islamism in a country.

The Independent said that although Vance's remarks were made a week ago, they sparked criticism in the UK after Trump announced that Vance would be the Republican vice presidential candidate. British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told the media about the remarks, "He has said a lot of ridiculous things before." Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Saida Warsi said that Vance's remarks reflected "common Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism, which some of the most powerful people in our society also blurt out." Conservative MP Andrew Bowie said, "I think it's actually an offense to my colleagues in the Labour Party."

In response to Vance's remarks, Labour MP Clive Lewis told The Independent, "I think it shows that we now need to prepare for the worst-case scenario of Trump and Vance being elected." He said, "Vance's remarks are related to the kind of Islamophobia we have seen online and elsewhere." Lewis said the Labour Party needs to be prepared to ensure that national institutions are "robust and strong enough to withstand the impact of far-right forces after they come to power."