Cabinet minister hits out at JD Vance’s rant as Kemi Badenoch urges UK to ‘fight for’ free speech | EUROtoday

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A cupboard minister has hit again at a unprecedented rant by US vp JD Vance, by which he attacked European democracies and claimed the best menace going through the continent was not Russia or China however “from within”.

Mr Vance shocked delegates on the Munich Security Conference on Friday as he accused Europe of “retreating from some of its most fundamental values”, together with free speech.

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds instructed the BBC he disagreed with Mr Vance’s tackle the most important menace going through Europe.

“I would disagree on that,” he mentioned. “I think the threat from Russia is real.”

He additionally hit out at Mr Vance’s assault on the UK over a authorized case by which a former serviceman who silently prayed outdoors an abortion clinic was convicted of breaching a protected zone across the centre.

Mr Reynolds, who’s a Christian himself, mentioned: “No one is arrested for what they are praying about. The example he gave was about making sure people can access healthcare.”

During his speech, Mr Vance mentioned the US’s “very dear friends the United Kingdom” appeared to have seen a “backslide in conscience rights”.

Tory chief Kemi Badenoch appeared to again his warning, saying in an interview that free speech is “under threat” and the legislation has “overreached” to police individuals’s opinions.

She instructed The Sunday Telegraph that Britons ought to “fight for” free speech and said she supported those “questioning the established order”.

“Free speech is valuable – and below menace,” she mentioned. “We must fight for it. It challenges dangerous orthodoxies and sparks change.”

Ms Badenoch added: “Rules to protect people from ‘perceived’ harm have overreached. Being upset or offended shouldn’t be the state’s concern.

“Silencing free speech harms democracy, tradition and particular person resilience. Without free speech, false concepts thrive unchallenged.”

Mr Vance’s speech was denounced by several politicians at the conference. German defence minister Boris Pistorius said it was “not acceptable”.