JD Vance to kick off UK visit with tensions high

US Vice President JD Vance kicks off a trip in the United Kingdom with a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday that will bring renewed scrutiny of Vance's sharp criticism of Britain and its governing Labour Party.

Vance, his wife, Usha, and their three young children are expected to land in London at the start of a trip that includes staying with Lammy at Chevening, the country residence used by the foreign minister.

They will later stay in the Cotswolds, a picturesque area of English countryside and a popular retreat for wealthy and influential figures, from footballers and film stars to media and political figures.

The visit to the United Kingdom comes amid heightened transatlantic tensions, domestic political shifts in both countries and increased attention on Vance's foreign policy views as he emerges as a key figure in President Donald Trump's administration.

A source familiar with the planning described the trip as a working visit that will include several official engagements, meetings and visits to cultural sites. Vance is also expected to meet with US troops.

Vance has championed an America First foreign policy and once said last year's election victory for the centre-left Labour Party meant Britain was "maybe" the first "truly Islamist" country with a nuclear weapon. He also attacked the United Kingdom for undermining freedom of speech and placing the "basic liberties of religious Britons in the crosshairs."

Lammy once called Trump a "far right extremist" and a "neo-Nazi" but since coming to power has brushed off his remarks as "old news."

Despite their differences, the pair has developed a warm friendship, bonding over their difficult childhoods and shared Christian faith, according to two officials familiar with the relationship.

Lammy attended mass at the vice president's Washington residence during a visit in March, and the two leaders met again in Rome in May for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass, the officials said.

The bilateral meeting on Friday lacks a formal agenda, officials said, but is likely to touch on the Ukraine and Gaza crises, along with trade issues.

The United Kingdom has been pushing Trump to support Ukraine in its war with Russia and to accelerate efforts to bring a humanitarian crisis in Gaza to an end. But Lammy is unlikely to press aggressively, said Bronwen Maddox, a director at the think tank Chatham House.

"It's a chance to get UK perspective in there, but they're not looking for conflict," Maddox said, adding that British officials are content with the trade deal they struck with Trump.

Vance's visit comes shortly after Trump travelled to Scotland for a private visit that included meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who struck a framework trade agreement with the US imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most European Union goods.

Trump is also scheduled for a full state visit to the United Kingdom in September, making him the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch.