U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer "will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom," intensifying an already escalating political crisis in London. The president posted the remark on his Truth Social platform, adding a sharp critique of Starmer's record on immigration and energy.
Trump's post read: "Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well!"
Downing Street has not issued an official response to the U.S. president's comments or to the growing speculation about the prime minister's future. British media have reported that allies of Starmer expect him to lay out a timetable for leaving office as soon as Monday, according to the Observer.
The prime minister's position has weakened after months of internal dissent within his party. The situation reached a tipping point on Thursday when Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor and a prominent Labour figure, won a high-profile parliamentary by-election in the Makerfield constituency.
The by-election was organized to return Burnham to the House of Commons and, under Labour Party rules, it cleared the way for a formal leadership challenge to Starmer. The result was widely viewed inside party circles as a significant rebuke to the prime minister's authority.
Trump's public rebuke highlights strains in relations between Washington and London. Starmer had initially sought to preserve close ties with the Republican administration after Trump took office in January, but those relations have reportedly deteriorated over differences in foreign policy.
According to The Guardian, a key element of the reported rift was Starmer's reluctance to provide full British military backing for U.S.-led operations in the Middle East. If Starmer steps down, it would trigger a Labour leadership contest and put the United Kingdom on track to appoint its seventh prime minister in a decade.
Context and immediate developments
- Trump's comments arrived via Truth Social and directly named immigration and energy as the critical failings prompting his prediction.
- Reports from the Observer indicate that Starmer's allies expect an imminent timetable announcement for his departure.
- Andy Burnham's return to the Commons after the Makerfield by-election is central to the mechanics enabling a formal challenge to Starmer's leadership.