Trump Criticizes Starmer as U.K. Prime Minister Weighs Resignation Announcement

President Trump is not shedding any tears as Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom reportedly prepares to announce his resignation on Monday. Mr. Starmer, elected in a landslide less than two years ago, has been troubled for months by poor poll numbers, devastating election losses, and the threat of a challenge from a popular mayor who has now re-joined parliament. After nearly 15 years outside Downing Street, the Labour Party in 2024 won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history. Now, as his party is being squeezed by two ascendant far-right nativist parties and the left-wing Greens, Mr. Starmer is evidently debating whether to step down to give his party a fighting chance ahead of the next general election. Mr. Trump evidently scooped the prime minister’s announcement in a Truth Social post on Sunday while wishing Mr. Starmer a not so fare-thee-well. “Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom,” Mr. Trump wrote in his brief message. “He failed badly on two very important subjects — IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!)”“I wish him well!” Mr. Trump added. Despite Mr. Trump “pre-announcing the resignation of the prime minister of America’s supposedly most important ally,” according to ITV news anchor Robert Peston, Mr. Starmer has not decided whether to relinquish his position or not, but he is unlikely to drag out the waiting game past Tuesday. If he does step down, the opportune time to walk away may be in the mid-July or late September parliamentary recesses, Mr. Peston said.Mr. Starmer has been a reluctant ally and occasional adversary to Mr. Trump when it comes to global affairs. After the United States and Israel launched their attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran in February, Europeans, including Mr. Starmer, made clear that they would not help Americans bombs or soldiers make their way to the region. When Mr. Trump demanded that European leaders go and open up the Strait of Hormuz by themselves, they largely shrugged him off. Mr. Starmer did allow the United States to use British bases for “defensive actions” and sent a warship to Cyprus after the Iranians fired missiles its way.Earlier this year, Mr. Trump also went on a brief tirade against Mr. Starmer regarding the prime minister’s decision — and then reversal — to relinquish territorial control of the Chaagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, where Britain and America have jointly operated the Diego Garcia air base. Mr. Trump said Mr. Starmer was “not Winston Churchill.”According to recent polls, Mr. Starmer is the most unpopular leader of any major party in Parliament. He is 45 points underwater, according to one survey, compared to Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch who is 20 points underwater and Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey, who is only 12 points underwater. During his tenure as prime minister, Mr. Starmer has been criticized incessantly for his indecisiveness. First, his government walked back a wildly unpopular proposal to severely restrict access to winter fuel allowance payments for seniors despite not campaigning on such a policy in 2024. One of the biggest scandals of his premiership came after his appointment of Peter Mandelson to be ambassador to the United States. Mr. Starmer was accused of not properly vetting Mr. Mandelson, who was later outed as a close friend and associate of Jeffrey Epstein. After the Labour Party was routed in this year’s local elections, dozens of members of Parliament began calling for Mr. Starmer to step aside. Though he has resisted those calls, he is apparently coming to the realization that he would not survive a leadership challenge this year. If he does announce his resignation on Monday, depending on when exactly he leaves Downing Street, it is likely that Mr. Starmer will end up being the shortest-serving Labour Party prime minister in British history. The current record holder is Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who served for more than two-and-a-half years before losing the 2010 U.K. general election. Mr. Starmer will hit the two-year mark of his premiership on July 4, if he stays that long. The shortest-serving prime minister is Conservative Party member Liz Truss, who served just 44 days before being replaced by Rishi Sunak, who was ousted by Mr. Starmer in the 2024 elections.Even if he tries to stay, it is unlikely Mr. Starmer would survive a leadership challenge by Andy Burnham, the popular former mayor of Greater Manchester who just won a by-election to return to parliament. He stepped down as a legislator in 2017 in order to become mayor. Mr. Burnham has admitted that he is ready to take on Mr. Starmer for the leadership post, though he would still need the support of some sitting members of parliament in order to start that process. Mr. Starmer’s former health secretary, Wes Streeting, has said he is actively working to begin the leadership change process and could kick it off as early as this week, according to the BBC. If Mr. Starmer announces he is stepping down, however, then the leadership election would begin anyway.

Trump Criticizes Starmer as U.K. Prime Minister Weighs Resignation Announcement

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