During a high-profile meeting at the White House, US Vice President JD Vance openly criticized “infringements on free speech” in the United Kingdom during the first official visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
During a press briefing, Vice President Vance reaffirmed his concerns, stating that restrictions on free speech in the UK have implications not only for British citizens but also for American technology companies and, by extension, American citizens.
“I said what I said, which is that we do have, of course, a special relationship with our friends in the UK and also with some of our European allies,” Vance remarked.
“But we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British—of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them—but also affect American technology companies and, by extension, American citizens. So that is something that we’ll talk about today at lunch.”
His comments come amid growing international concerns about the UK government’s increasing censorship measures, which have included new laws regulating online speech and arrests related to social media posts. Starmer’s first eight months in office have been marked by a series of controversial free speech restrictions, drawing criticism from both domestic and international advocates of free expression.
More: Keir Starmer’s Censorship Playbook
Starmer, however, defended the UK’s approach, pushing back against Vance’s assertion.
“We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom, and it will last for a very, very long time,” Starmer – forgetting, or ignoring, the fact that the UK has police arriving on the doorstep of its citizens for something they wrote on social media.
He added, “Certainly, we wouldn’t want to reach across US citizens, and we don’t. And that’s absolutely right. But in relation to free speech in the UK, I’m very proud of our history there.”
The exchange reveals a potential friction point between the two allies as the US and UK navigate their diplomatic and technological ties under the new political landscape. While both leaders emphasized their commitment to maintaining a strong relationship, the issue of free speech and online regulation remains a contentious topic that will likely be revisited in future discussions.
