JD Vance said the UK was the first ‘Islamist country’ to get a nuclear weapon after Labour won power
Conservatives seem more willing this morning to criticise what JD Vance said about the UK (see 8.42am) than Labour politicians. Although the Tories are more aligned with US Republicans than Labour, this is not particularly surprising because Labour has to worry about diplomatic relations with a possible Trump administration while that is not something a Conservative leader is probably every going to have to worry about.
Angela Rayner found a polite way of saying she disagreed with Vance’s comment about the UK becoming an “Islamist” country. But Andrew Bowie, the new shadow veterans minister, has also been on an interview round this morning and he told Times Radio that the US senator was being offensive.
No, absolutely not. The Labour party, I disagree with the Labour party fundamentally on many issues, but I do not agree with that view. I think it’s actually quite offensive, frankly, to my colleagues in the Labour party.
They have just won the election. It’s now up to us to form an opposition. But we need to relearn how to disagree agreeably and have those full, frank disagreements out in public – but be able to do so with civility.
