NewsVice President Vance's immigration critique stirs UK tensions

Vice President Vance's immigration critique stirs UK tensions

The Vice President of the USA, J.D. Vance, delivered a fiery speech on 18th March in Washington, where he accused Western countries of being "lazy" and criticised the United Kingdom is stagnating due to high levels of immigration.

JD Vance criticised the United Kingdom
JD Vance criticised the United Kingdom
Images source: © Getty Images | Kayla Bartkowski
Aneta Polak

Speaking at the American Dynamism Summit in Washington, J.D. Vance took aim at the UK, claiming that the rise in immigration is hindering the country's development.

According to the "Daily Mail", in his impassioned address on Tuesday, the politician accused Western nations of being "lazy" and suggested they are becoming reliant on "cheap labour" rather than enhancing productivity.

Addressing technology companies, executives, and government officials in Washington, Vance remarked: "I'd say that if you look in nearly every country, from Canada to the UK, that imported large amounts of cheap labour, you've seen productivity stagnate." He emphasised that, in his view, "that's not a total happenstance" and "that the connection is very direct."

In J.D. Vance's assessment, the United States is also becoming dependent on "cheap labour" due to "40 years of failed economic policies".

The Vice President of the USA ruffled British feathers

J.D. Vance's criticism of the United Kingdom is not new. He recently provoked outrage by describing the United Kingdom as "some random country who hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years" during an interview with Fox News. These comments were made in the context of discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about a minerals deal, and they elicited a strong reaction from the British public.

Previously, British politicians took issue with J.D. Vance's remarks when, as a Vice Presidential candidate, he stated that under the Labour Party's rule, the United Kingdom would become "the first Islamist country with nuclear weapons".

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