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JD Vance Says Britain ‘Failed by Its Leadership’ in Message to Burnham

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Britain has been let down by its leaders and that British politics is broken, while expressing personal affection for the country.

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe Staff Writer

JULY 5, 2026 AT 9:31 AM

JD Vance made the remarks during a wide-ranging interview marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, according to James Saunders writing in GB News. The Vice President’s comments included pointed observations about British politics and expressed hope for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

Vance told The Times that Britain holds a unique place in his heart, describing it as more culturally familiar to him than any nation outside America itself. He cited both shared interests and the strength of the transatlantic alliance as reasons for his attachment to the United Kingdom.

However, the Vice President did not shy away from criticism of the country’s political establishment. Something is very broken about British politics and people are really crying out for significant structural change, Vance stated, pointing to widespread public dissatisfaction with current governance.

In his recent book titled “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith”, Vance recounted a visit to Caernarfon Castle in Wales, where he felt the weight of history while standing on the 700-year-old walls. He noted the fortress had already stood for centuries before English settlers first arrived in what would become the United States.

The Vice President’s language echoed themes struck by President Donald Trump in recent addresses. In his July 3 “America 250” speech, Trump emphasized the English language as central to American founding principles, declaring it had been the language of freedom for a millennium.

When receiving King Charles III at the White House in April, Trump told the monarch that the American patriots of 1776 were heirs to a majestic inheritance, with Anglo-Saxon courage running through their veins and English faith beating in their hearts.

The remarks from Vance represent a significant intervention in British political discourse from a senior American official, combining genuine admiration for British culture and history with frank assessment of contemporary political failures.

With information from GB News

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe

She was born in 1986 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is the granddaughter of an immigrant from Crete who settled in the Greek community of Johannesburg (one of the largest in Africa). She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg and a master’s degree in Journalism from Rhodes University in Grahamstown. She began her career at English-language media outlets in Johannesburg, covering politics and economics, with a focus on issues related to migration and the diaspora. She moved to Athens in 2015 to “return to her roots,” initially to pursue graduate studies, and has remained there permanently. She is married to an Afrikaner; they have two children and live in the southern suburbs of Athens.