Chris Mason: How Lammy and Vance’s unlikely friendship is being leveraged

Chris Mason: How Lammy and Vance’s Unlikely Friendship is Being Leveraged

Donald Trump’s public criticisms of the UK prime minister have been consistent for weeks, while Sir Keir Starmer has also voiced his own public dissent against the U.S. president. Yet, the diplomatic ties between the deputy prime minister and the vice-president appear to be strengthening, despite the frosty atmosphere between their respective leaders.

David Lammy, who oversees England and Wales’ prison system as justice secretary, has recently met with JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House. These encounters, each lasting about 45 minutes, centered on the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Interestingly, the foreign secretary, a role Lammy previously held before it was transferred to Yvette Cooper, wasn’t central to these discussions.

The relationship between Lammy and Vance began when Lammy was an opposition MP and Vance was newly elected to the U.S. Senate. Last summer, the vice-president and his family stayed at Lammy’s grace-and-favor home in Kent during a visit to the UK. On social media, Lammy shared: “Great to catch up with my friend JD Vance today in DC following his talks in Pakistan.” Above a photo of the two shaking hands, he added:

“It is vital that the ceasefire continues and we get shipping flowing freely again through the Straits of Hormuz. We continue to work together towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his stance on Trump’s rhetoric during a parliamentary session, stating: “In relation to the language about destroying a civilisation, could I really be clear with this House – that was wrong.” He criticized Trump’s claim that a “whole civilisation will die tonight” as an overstatement, noting that such threats target Iranian civilians who have endured years of hardship under the regime.

Starmer also mentioned both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the same sentence, expressing frustration over their policies’ impact on families: “I am fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down… because of the actions of Putin or Trump.” The UK has also signaled it will not support America’s blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump has persistently mocked the prime minister, even calling him “not Winston Churchill.” While specifics of Lammy and Vance’s conversations remain unshared, the divergence in their governments’ policies is evident. For Downing Street, having the prime minister’s deputy aligned with the U.S. vice-president’s views provides a strategic benefit, even as the leaders’ relationship remains cool.