Boris Johnson has taken aim at US vice president JD Vance, branding his claims that migrants are erasing British civilisation as "b******s". Mr Vance has frequently argued that mass immigration and "anti-western" policies are destroying European civilisation, most recently suggesting Henry Nowak's murder could have been prevented if officials had effectively tackled "the mass invasion of migrants".
Johnson Disputes Vance's Immigration Claims
Former prime minister Mr Johnson appeared to dispute the comments, however, arguing that the immigrant population of New York is "virtually identical" to London. "I think in America, about 30% of people are either first or second generation immigrants," he told Sky News. "The statistic I used to cite was that 40% of our population was born abroad. So all [this] raving about civilisational erasure, 'Britain's going down the tubes' - I think it's b*****s."
Immigration Statistics: London vs New York
Around 41% of Londoners were born outside the UK, according to the 2021 census, with the average for the rest of the country at 17%. Meanwhile 37% of New Yorkers have immigrant status, the Daily Mail reports. Mr Vance warned that Europe as a whole was on the brink of "civilisational suicide" due to an influx of migrants last year.
Vance's Comments on Henry Nowak Murder
Following Mr Nowak's murder by British Sikh Vickrum Digwa last month, he doubled down, linking the student's death to the failure of "European elites" to stand their ground against "the politics of self-hatred and migrants who despise the West". Downing Street strongly refuted his remarks, hitting out at "people trying to interfere in our democracy and stir up division on our streets".
Vance's Alignment with Far-Right Activist
Mr Vance also aligned himself with far-right activist Tommy Robinson after his controversial London protest in May. Rejecting claims of racism, the Republican politician said it was "ok to want to defend your culture" and reasonable for people "to want to control who comes into their country".
Johnson Calls for Toughness on British Norms
While Mr Johnson disagreed with Mr Vance's assessment, he said the UK "hasn't been tough enough in insisting on basic British norms of behaviour". "I think a lot of political correctness has prevented that," he added. "I think it is totally unacceptable that you should have populations of women who don't speak English. That's absolutely appalling."
