JD Vance, the prominent author and politician, is set to visit London with his family in August, following a summer holiday in the picturesque Cotswolds. Vance, author of the widely read Hillbilly Elegy and a movement champion of a return to Appalachian homesteading, favors the peaceful scenery of the Cotswolds. He concludes that London is becoming unrecognizable and more repelling than soothing rural stretches.
The Badlands former congressional candidate and wife Usha are up to some exciting things! Together with their three small children, they hope to rent a home in —surprise, surprise—the picturesque Cotswolds. This decision comes on the heels of Vance’s xenophobic comments about London, in which he called the city “no longer English.” Vance’s statements are a public manifestation of a growing worry he has expressed in private about the arrival of UK and Europe cultural, political and societal changes.
Vance will take this family trip once Donald Trump is finished with his holiday in Scotland. The trip comes on the heels of Vance’s critical statements directed at European governments, including the UK’s leadership. In February, he took them to task in no uncertain terms. He rightly called them out for infringing upon free speech and for their inability to stop illegal migration.
During his address at the Munich Security Conference, Vance warned that “in Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat.” He listed a number of examples that he argues are indicative of this disturbing pattern. His comments have ignited a continent-wide discussion about the balance between freedom of speech and government censorship in different countries across the world.
Vance took to Twitter to blast the Scottish government’s approach to protecting abortion rights. He alleged that it has been mailing threatening letters to residents who live in what he calls “not-so-safe access zones.” He argued that such measures could lead to situations where “even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law.” This claim faced a barrage of rebuttals from officials, with a spokesperson for the Scottish government calling Vance’s assertions false and misleading.
Vance’s comments and forthcoming travels come amid an increasing wave of anti-Trump sentiment in Scotland. There, public opinion frequently goes head-on against his opinion. In addition, Vance has recently blamed European political leaders for being afraid of their voters and not defending democracy.
As JD Vance prepares to board his megayacht for a long, luxurious holiday, his comments reverberate loudly through political discourse. They raise some of the most profound issues surrounding free speech in contemporary Britain and Europe, and individual rights more broadly.