I can find common ground with JD Vance, says David Lammy

The foreign secretary has said he believes he can find "common ground" with JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate in the US presidential race.

David Lammy told the BBC his "similar background" to the Ohio senator, chosen as the Republicans' pick for US vice president, made it easier for them to connect on policy issues.

Mr Lammy said he had already found areas of agreement on foreign policy with Mr Vance, who opposed aiding Ukraine and has criticized Nato.

His comments come as Mr Vance reaffirmed his isolationist "America first" stance, pledging to the Republican National Convention (RNC) to prevent unnecessary involvement in overseas wars.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Lammy said: “Let me just say on JD Vance that I’ve met him now on several occasions, we share a similar working-class backgrounds with addiction issues in our family.

"We’ve written books on that, we’ve talked about that, and we’re both Christians. So I think I can find common ground with JD Vance.”

He claimed he had already found that "common ground" with Mr Vance, during discussions on US foreign policy during a meeting in Washington earlier this year.

He was speaking from Blenheim Palace, for the fourth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) where leaders are expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine and discuss key shared concerns such as migration and energy.

Pushed on whether Mr Vance's views create a problem for the Ukrainian war effort, Mr Lammy told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "there is a perspective of views in the Republican Party".

"There are many committed to the trans-Atlantic relationship and many that understand that European security and security in the Pacific are inextricably linked," he added.

"There are many actors in relations to US foreign policy and I've been speaking to many of them including those who could become defence secretary and secretary of state."

The foreign secretary once called Mr Trump a “neo-Nazi sociopath” and “a tyrant in a toupee” but has since distanced themselves from those comments after he was appointed to Sir Keir Starmer's front bench.

Asked whether his previous remarks might jeopardise a working relationship with a future Trump White House, Mr Lammy said: "Donald Trump has the thickest of skins.

"You’re going to struggle to find any politician who has not had things to say about Donald Trump in his first term."

He pointed to Mr Vance’s own former criticisms of his new boss. Mr Vance once classed himself as a "never Trump guy" and calling the former president "America's Hitler".

Mr Trump has "just picked a vice-president who’s had some pretty choice language about him in the past", Mr Lammy said.

Earlier this week, senior Labour figures dismissed Mr Vance's joke that the UK under Labour might be the first "truly Islamist" country with nuclear weapons.

Speaking at the National Conservatism conference in Washington DC last week, the 39-year-old said he was "beating up" on the UK, and had discussed with a friend “what is the first truly Islamist country to get a nuclear weapon", then joked "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".

His comments were a direct criticism of Labour’s approach to immigration, and he also said that the Tories “have got to get a handle on this”.

Right-wing US political figures have often linked immigration to a rise in Islamism in a country and have regularly focused on the UK.

The remarks were embarrassing for Mr Lammy, who had labelled Mr Vance a "friend" during his recent efforts to build bridges with senior Republicans.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said she does not "recognise" his characterisation of the UK, while Treasury Minister James Murray said he did not understand Mr Vance's point.