STORY
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has begun a two-day visit to Washington DC, travelling at the invitation of US Vice President JD Vance as the UK steps up its involvement in ‘America 250’, the programme marking 250 years since the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.
The Ministry of Justice said Lammy will use the trip to underline the UK-US ‘special relationship’, with discussions expected to cover economic growth and Europe’s role in securing “sustainable, long-term peace” in Ukraine. He is also due to speak at an America 250 event at Mount Vernon, reflecting on his own experiences studying and working in the United States and looking ahead to future UK-US cooperation.
A central moment of the visit will be the UK’s contribution to a time capsule that is due to be buried under the Washington Monument. The government said the exchange follows the burial of a ‘sister’ time capsule in Trafalgar Square last year. The capsule, designed by architect Lord Norman Foster, is intended to be reopened on 4 July 2276.