U.S. President Donald Trump predicted that it will be hard for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stay in office unless he radically changes immigration and energy policy. Analysts say Trump laid down direct checks on the embattled British leader amid mounting diplomatic friction between the allies.
On the 15th (local time), according to U.K. outlets including the Standard and the Telegraph, Trump answered a question about Starmer's political future aboard Air Force One while returning home after a state visit to China. Trump said, "Prime Minister Starmer is in trouble for two reasons—energy and immigration," adding, "If he doesn't fix immigration, which is his weakness, and doesn't start drilling for oil in the North Sea, it will be hard for him to survive." When asked whether Starmer should step down on his own, Trump said, "I wouldn't say that. In fact, I think he's a good person," drawing a line against directly urging his resignation.
Trump criticized the U.K. government's flagship green energy policy point by point. He said, "Britain has the finest oilfields in the world but doesn't use them, and instead buys oil from Norway for enormous sums," adding, "They should immediately stop building wind turbines that cause tremendous disruption and open up the North Sea."
U.S.-U.K. relations have chilled rapidly this year over a range of issues. Tensions flared as Washington moved to incorporate Denmark's Greenland, and the rift widened when London did not actively support the U.S. airstrikes on Iran carried out on Feb. 28. Adding to that, after the ruling Labor Party suffered a crushing defeat in local elections held on the 7th, Starmer has faced intense calls to resign from potential rivals within the party. With Trump, the leader of a core ally, now forcefully pressing for policy shifts, Starmer's political footing is expected to narrow further.
Even recently, the United States and the United Kingdom exposed clear differences over a joint defense mission led by Britain and France to protect the Strait of Hormuz. The White House voiced reservations about Britain's pursuit of an independent Middle East operation plan. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly opposed the U.K.'s plan to deploy forces independently, saying it "makes no sense at all." With Britain's internal turmoil compounded by discord in diplomacy and security among allies, some assess that the Starmer cabinet faces its greatest crisis.