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US vice president JD Vance has backed Brexit voters in an anti-immigration rant at the Munich Security Conference.
“No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants,” he said.
“But you know what they did vote for in England? They voted for Brexit and, agree or disagree, they voted for it.
“And more and more all over Europe, they’re voting for political leaders who promised to put an end to out-of-control migration. Now, I happen to agree with a lot of these concerns, but you don’t have to agree with me.”
Mr Vance then began to criticise freedom of speech laws in the UK and social policies across Europe.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer said he will visit the United States later this month to meet with President Donald Trump amid tensions between the two countries on potential tariffs and Ukraine.
The Labour government has distanced itself from the Trump administration’s stance on Ukraine, as Sir Keir said Britain is committed to Ukraine being on an “irreversible path” to joining Nato after the US appeared to rule out membership.
Starmer must be clear with Trump that his Ukraine proposals are ‘unacceptable’, Ed Davey says
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said the Prime Minister should “seize the moment” and go to the Munich Security Conference to make clear to Donald Trump that his proposals on Ukraine are “unacceptable.”
Responding to news of Sir Keir Starmer’s call with the US president on Thursday, Sir Ed said: “Keir Starmer must be clear with Donald Trump that his proposals on Ukraine are unacceptable.
“There is not a moment to lose. It is critical that the Prime Minister joins the gathering of global leaders taking place this weekend at the Munich Security Conference, and does all he can to bolster support for Ukraine.
“Keir Starmer must seize the moment and ensure that Trump’s plans to lock Ukraine, the UK and European allies out of decisions about our shared future do not succeed.”
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Richard Tice has repeatedly mocked Rachel Reeves for having allegedly embellished her CV, but The Independent can reveal the Reform UK deputy leader has in fact exagerrated his own business success on his CV
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Our Social Affairs Correspondent Holly Bancroft reports:
Full report | Starmer backs Ukraine’s ‘irreversible path to Nato’ in apparent swipe at Trump
Our Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
UK announces further sanctions on Putin’s inner circle
Foreign Secretary David Lammy will meet the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny at a major security summit as Britain announces further sanctions on people with links to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
The Foreign Secretary will have talks with Yulia Navalnaya and reflect on her husband’s enduring legacy at the Munich Security Conference nearly a year on from his death.
Mr Lammy said in a statement: “I am announcing further sanctions to keep up the pressure on Putin. Ukrainians are fighting for their country’s future and the principle of sovereignty across Europe at the frontline.
“Nearly a year on from the death of Alexei Navalny, I am honoured to meet with Yulia Navalnaya and make clear our commitment to weaken Putin’s attempts to stifle political opposition and crack down on the Kremlin’s corrupt dealings globally.
“We are calling on our friends and allies to continue to step up in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.”
The sanctions announced target high-profile figures working in the Russian government, including Pavel Fradkov, a Russian defence minister, and Vladimir Selin, who heads up an arm of the Russian ministry of defence, the Foreign Office said.
They also target Artem Chaika, whose extractives company supports Russian state-owned business.
Starmer to visit US to meet with Trump
Sir Keir Starmer discussed “his forthcoming visit to the US” with Donald Trump on Thursday night during a meeting with the President’s special envoy to the UK, Downing Street has said.
A spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister was pleased to host President Trump’s special envoy to the United Kingdom, Mark Burnett, at Downing Street last night, during which he took a call from President Trump and discussed his forthcoming visit to the US.
“Mr Burnett and the Prime Minister agreed on the unique and special nature of the UK-US relationship, the strength of our alliance, and the warmth of the connection between the two countries.
“Mr Burnett reflected on his personal connections to the UK, and his mother’s experience working part-time in Downing Street as a waitress over 30 years ago.
“They emphasised the huge potential for even stronger collaboration on trade, tech and cultural matters between the US and the UK, and looked forward to working together.”
Lammy and Vance hold meeting at Munich security conference
David Lammy said he looked forward to discussing support for Ukraine and European security as he met US vice president JD Vance in Munich on Friday.
In comments at the start of the meeting, the Foreign Secretary described the US-UK relationship as “more than just an alliance, it’s a covenant between two partners”.
He added: “We are committed to increasing defence and encourage our friends across Europe to do the same, and of course we have got important issues to discuss on Ukraine and how we support Ukraine at this difficult moment, and also broader issues of UK-US security.”
Mr Vance said: “Honestly, we have a lot in common, and the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States will remain very strong.
“We are going to talk about something that he and I spoke about a couple of years ago, which is our shared belief that Europe really should take a big role in its own security, and I’m glad the Foreign Secretary agrees with me on that.
“I think there are other issues of common agreement, I’m sure we will talk about Russia-Ukraine.”
