UK’s Starmer hits back at JD Vance on freedom of speech

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly challenged JD Vance in the Oval Office Thursday after the U.S. vice president claimed Britain’s stance on freedom of speech is stifling American companies and citizens.

Vance — sat across from Starmer in a meeting with President Donald Trump — told reporters that the “special relationship” between the U.K. and U.S. mattered, but issued a warning about perceived over-bearing tech regulation.

He said: “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.”

Starmer, leaning forward in his seat, issued a retort to the vice president. He said his government “wouldn’t want to reach across U.S. citizens, and we don’t, and that’s absolutely right.”

“But in relation to free speech in the U.K. I’m very proud of our history there,” he added.

“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 told the U.S. vice president in the Oval Office.

It comes amid a fierce transatlantic debate about tech regulation, with the U.S. urging the U.K. and EU to ease up on rules governing AI and social media platforms.

Trump adviser Elon Musk has also been a regular critic of the U.K. government and Starmer himself because of the way his administration responded to far-right riots that hit the U.K. last year and his record as the country’s top public prosecutor.

Vance’s comments also come after U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard condemned the British government for reportedly asking Apple to implement a backdoor in its encryption to allow greater access to users’ data. Apple instead removed its most advanced data security tool for U.K. customers last week.