VP travel pool report #4: Quotes from bilat

Pool was ushered out of the meeting at 2:40 p.m., after a nine-minute spray. Vance was in a blue suit and red tie. Lammy was in a blue suit and blue patterned tie, so they had changed since fishing.

Both took questions. More quotes to come, but to start:

Vance on UK recognizing Palestinian state:

“It’s one of the things we’re going to talk about. Obviously, the United Kingdom is going to make its decision. We have no plans to recognize a Palestinian state. I don't know what it would mean to really recognize a Palestinian state, given the lack of a functional government there.”

Lammy, listing some of the things they’ll talk about:

“The developing situation in the Middle East and Gaza which is a great concern, and of course the ongoing war in Ukraine.”

Lammy welcomed the VP to his country home, and said Vance and his family would be going from here to the Cotswalds and then to Scotland.

Vance confirmed they did not catch any fish, but his kids did.

“Unfortunately, the one strain on the special relationship is that all of my kids caught a fish, but the Foreign Secretary and I did not.”

“On a personal note I have to say I really have become a good friend and David has become a good friend of mine,” Vance said.

“I really love this country, and in particular, having never been to this beautiful house before and seeing the surrounding area, I will just say that the people who built it, the people who sustained it, I think, really love the human spirit, and being here lifts up the human spirit.”

Otter link: https://otter.ai/u/4Y0HaJew21qb1P8KOWuDzw5AjYE

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Natalie Allison

White House Reporter

The Washington Post