Musician backs out of gig over US vice-president

A musician has described walking out of a venue before a gig after finding out it would be attended by US Vice-President JD Vance.

Folk-rock singer-songwriter Dolly Mavies said that she and her band "packed up our stuff and left" when they discovered it was to entertain the Republican politician, who is holidaying in Oxfordshire.

His visit to Dean has resulted in an increased police presence in the area, and a number of protesters gathered in the village on Tuesday carrying placards and banners opposing the vice-president's visit.

It comes after he spent time with the foreign secretary in Kent, where the pair went fishing together and appeared to bond despite their political differences.

A person familiar with the vice-president's plans told the BBC he did not attend the Charlbury gig, close to Dean, and had never planned to.

Dolly Mavies - whose real name is Molly Davies - posted on Instagram that she and her bandmates were told Vance would be attending.

"So not being fans of his, we decided that wasn't for us and we packed up our stuff and left," she said.

"Because morals are more important than money."

In a statement released later, she added that she wanted to use her platform to champion human rights and "support the voices of those often silenced".

"For me, performing is about connection, authenticity, and integrity," she said.

However Vance, a Republican who is Catholic and served for four years in the US Marine Corps before entering politics, was given a warm welcome by Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the weekend.

The Labour politician said he was "delighted" to host him and his family.

He is now reported to be staying in a house close to Diddly Squat - the farm and pub belonging to broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson.

Clarkson posted on Instagram with a caption about a JD Vance no-fly zone.

He said: "We are the pin. So on the downside, no drone shots today. On the upside, no annoying light aircraft".

American residents of the Cotswolds include TV chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, who said she fled to the area specifically to escape President Donald Trump.

Dean resident Jonathan Mazower said locals found out about the visit from police, who had gathered their details.

"[Former Prime Minister] David Cameron lived in this village obviously, so we are used to a certain amount of police presence," he said.

"But this is totally off the scale... this is just a kind of massive security lockdown."

Mr Mazower said people could not visit unless they had notified police at the checkpoints and given out personal details, including their vehicle registration numbers.

He described locals as "very easy-going and tolerant" but that he and others in the community disagreed with Vance's politics and felt they "have to speak out and protest".

Thames Valley Police said it was "supporting the United States during the Vice President's visit to our area to ensure the safety of all involved".

It added: "A restricted access area has been put in place in a small part of Dean as part of our operation.

"We spoke to affected residents to ensure we are able to facilitate movement within the restricted access area.

"Residents were under no obligation to answer any questions and were not asked about social media."

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